Beauty and the Beast: Fruits Basket Style
by moviefan-92
Summary: A retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Tohru -Belle- becomes a prisoner of the hideous beast, Kyo, who is under a powerful curse with rest rest of his family. Can Tohru break the curse before it becomes permanent? T/K. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

**(A/N: I can't believe I'm writing a story like this, because I never thought I would. Retelling aren't really my thing, but lately ideas have been flying through my head like crazy. Ordinarily, I would never write a fic like this, but the plot bunnies won't leave me alone. As the title tells you, this is a retelling of **_**Beauty and the Beast**_**, as a **_**Fruits Basket**_** version. The idea just came to me, and everything sort of fell into place. Actually, I'm surprised no one else has done this already, or maybe they have and I missed it. Whatever, enjoy.)**

**Characters:**

**Belle………. Tohru**

**The Beast……….. Kyo**

**Gaston…………… Akito**

**Lefou…………. Kureno**

**Lumiere………….. Yuki**

**Cogsworth………….. Shigure**

**Mrs. Pots………………. Hitori**

**Chip…………….. Momiji**

**Belle's Father…………… Tohru's Mother**

**Wardrobe……………… Ayame**

**Stove…………….. Ritsu**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**"BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: FRUITS BASKET STYLE"**

_**Prologue**_

_The Sohmas were a rich and powerful family that had lived peacefully for many years. But that was a thing of the past. After several generations of being well known in society, a curse befell upon the Sohmas._

_It was a dark sorcerer who was responsible for it all. Jealous of the Sohmas, he cast a powerful curse on the children. This curse turned each child into an animal, the animal representing the zodiac they were. Twelve children with the intelligence of a human, yet the body and nature of an animal._

_But there was one child who had a curse worse than the other twelve. The thirteenth child, who was born on February 29th, received a darker curse. He was cursed to become a hideous cat-like monster. And as time went by, his humanity slowly deteriorated, making him more and more monstrous and less human with each passing year._

_It was this child alone who was the key to breaking the curse. If one were capable of seeing beyond the beast, opening his heart to love and the humanity he was losing, the curse would be broken._

_But this would end once the child became of age. On his 18th birthday, he would become a mindless violent beast that would need to be imprisoned for life, and the other children would remain trapped in animal form._

_Hope seemed lost. The child was already 16, and his 17th birthday was closely approaching. It seemed that all hope was lost. The Sohma family vanished from society, isolating themselves from the rest of the world, resigning themselves to their fate. Their bloodline would end with their children, and their family would die out._

_Within the estate, the cat-like beast stormed by the other cursed children, eyeing each of them with envy, causing them to cower back. He growled angrily, his monster nature taking hold of him, causing his temper to skyrocket. He hated it when he was looked on in pity. He hated it, and he hated them. Didn't they know how lucky they were? He would give anything to have a curse like them. At least they their minds would remain intact. At least people could stand to look at them. He was becoming more of a demon with every passing year._

_His eyes shifted to the small prison referred to as the Cat Room. Once he turned 18, and his mind was completely lost, he would spend the rest of his life in there, like some freaky animal on display at a zoo. The Sohma family's dirty little secret._

_With an angry inhuman roar, he slammed his large deformed fist into the wall, creating a large hole. The others cowered away from him, worried his violent nature would take over and he would attack them._

_But instead he leapt up onto one of the house, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He wanted to be alone. He needed to be alone, it was just something he would have to get used to. After all, once he turned 18, he would always be alone. Then no one would have to see the hideous creature that he was._

_This was what he told himself, but the real reason he wanted to be alone, the reason he wouldn't admit to even himself, was because he didn't want the others to see him cry._

**(A/N: So, yeah, there's the prologue. Since this is a retelling, you all probably know how the plot is basically going to play out, but I hope you'll read my story just the same.)**


	2. Chp 1: A Day in the Life of Tohru Honda

**(A/N: now the story officially begins. For the most part, I will be following the plot of **_**Beauty and the Beast,**_** but there will be many changes, as you'll see in this chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**Chapter 1: A Day in the Life of Tohru Honda**

Tohru Honda yawned. It was late, past midnight. Normally she wouldn't work this late, but when she heard that there was overtime, she gladly took it. Of course, that didn't leave her much time to sleep. She had to be at work again tomorrow, bright and early. But that wouldn't stop her. She would keep going no matter what.

'_Like my motto goes,'_ she thought cheerfully, _'never give up!'_

Her fatigue didn't go by unnoticed, however. With a sigh, her boss walked over to her, giving her a kind smile.

"Miss Honda, how are you?" he asked kindly.

Tohru turned to him, hiding how tired she was. "Oh, Mr. Sohma, I'm doing great. See. I almost finished."

Her boss smiled. "Miss Honda, I told you, call me Kazuma. You've been working for me for a while now. And with that being said, I think you should take some time off."

Tohru's face fell, as her mind immediately brought up the worst-case scenario. "Oh, no! Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm really, really sorry. If you could just tell me what I'm doing wrong, I promise I'll do better next time."

Kazuma chuckled. "You misunderstand me, Miss Honda. You are doing a fine job. I'm simple concerned about your wellbeing. You always appear exhausted."

Tohru shook her head. "No, really, I'm fine. See, wide awake."

"Wide awake people don't have bags under their eyes."

Tohru winced. He boss was very perceptive. "Ok, so maybe I am a little tired. I do work two jobs."

"Which is why I want you to take tomorrow off. With pay."

Tohru's eyes widened and she began speaking very fast. "Oh, no, no, no, no! I couldn't possibly do that! It would be too much! I have to work to earn my pay!"

Kazuma patted her on the head. "Miss Honda, you do too much. You work twice as hard as any of my employees. And like you said, you have two jobs. Now I want you to take tomorrow off, and if it's really going to bother you, I'll make it half a day's pay. This is an order from your boss."

Tohru sighed, knowing how stubborn her boss was. "Thank you, Mr. Sohma."

"Kazuma, Miss Honda. Now go home and get some rest."

"But I-"

"Good night, Miss Honda."

She sighed again. "Good night Mr. Soh- I mean Kazuma."

Laughing nervously, she gathered her bag and left. She was grateful to Mr. S… Kazuma. But she wanted to earn her keep. She was a kind, responsible, and very neurotic girl. It was common for people to take advantage of her kindness, so she was very grateful to people like Mr. Soh- Kazuma. Maybe a little overly grateful.

As she made her way home, she failed to notice the pair of eyes watching her from within the shadows. The owner of these eyes shifted their attention to a young dark-haired man bathing in the moonlight.

"Akito, she's here."

The younger man, Akito, let out a breathy noise as he grinned. "So she is. Well then, Kureno, let's go say hi to her."

In an eerie fashion, he moved out of the shadows and approached the unsuspecting girl with Kureno right behind him. As he got closer, he saw her tense up as she realized she was being followed. It made him smirk. Or at least it did until she whirled around, swinging her bag, which made contact with his head.

Tohru peeked an eye open to see who she had hit. Her mouth dropped open when she saw who it was. "Oh no, Akito! I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! I thought you were a stalker! Not to say that you are a stalker! I just thought a stalker was following me, not that you were one!"

He placed a finger over her lips to silence her rapid speech. "You talk to much. I'm sure it was an honest mistake." He removed his finger and smiled at her, yet the smile didn't reach his eyes; it never did. "You're out awfully late, aren't you?"

She smiled at him. "Well, the boss had some overtime, so I took it. Things have been tough for Mom and I since Dad died."

"Yes," Akito breathed, "it's been a year now since his accident. How's your mother holding up?"

Tohru's smile, though it remained on her face, turned sad. "She's doing ok. I know it's been tough for her, but she tries so hard for my sake." She became more energetic. "That's why I have to try my hardest too!"

"You try too hard. Doesn't she, Kureno?"

"If you say so." Kureno replied. "Perhaps a vacation is in order. Akito, do you not have a private get away?"

The younger man grinned, seeing where Kureno was going with this. "Ah, yes, and if you ever feel the need to get away…" He left the sentence hanging, his intent clear.

Tohru shook her head. "Oh, no thank you. This is actually the time when I'll need to work the hardest. My mom's going away for a week to reunite with her old bike gang. She wanted to stay behind, but I insisted that go enjoy herself for a change."

Akito's smile faltered. "Ah, yes, your mother, the infamous Red Butterfly. Thought those days were long behind her."

"Oh, they are, but they're just having a gathering. You know, a friendly reunion."

Akito smoothed his hair out of his face. "I'm not one for reunions. Besides, you shouldn't be around those that are beneath you. You're mother should watch who she hangs out with. That Yankee in particular."

Tohru blinked. "Yankee? Oh, you mean Arisa Uotani? She's really nice. She really helped me out a lot."

It was apparent that Akito was becoming bored with the conversation. "I'm just saying, you should choose you friends more carefully. You don't want to get a bad reputation."

Tohru just smiled that content smile of hers. "It doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks. As long as you have those you care for and those that care for you in return, I know everything will work out. I have a wonderful mother, good friends, a kind boss. I have so much to be grateful for."

"And yet you and your mother are struggling to get by." Akito pointed out. "You know, Tohru, I'm very rich and powerful. I could take care of you; bring you and you mother in. You would never want or nothing." He moved in closer to her, much too close. "There is just one thing I want in return."

Tohru jumped back and began speaking quickly again. "Oh, no, no, I couldn't possibly do that, it'd be too much! It's very nice of you to offer, but I don't want to put you out! Not to seem ungrateful, because I really am grateful that you would do this-"

He stopped her by gentle caressing her cheeks. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're really cute when you get flustered?"

Feeling nervous, Tohru stepped back. "You know, I should really be getting home. I'm sure my mother is worried about me. It is pretty late after all. So I'll see you tomorrow, ok. Bye."

She hurried off to her home. Akito let her go, smiling as he watched her hurry away. He loved her innocence and naivety. That was what he was attracted to; her innocence and child-like charm. And he wanted it.

"She ran away again." Kureno stated, pointing out the obvious.

Akito chuckled. "How perceptive of you. But she'll only be able to run away for so long. She will be mine one day. Perhaps while her mother is away would be a good time to make my move."

Kureno glanced at him. "Why are you so obsessed with her?"

Sighing, Akito looked up at the moon. "That is a question I have asked myself numerous times, yet I am still not entirely sure I have the answer." He chuckled. "But when I want something, I always get it."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Mom, I'm home."

"Tohru!" Kyoko Honda threw her arms around her daughter, embracing her tightly. "Oh, my darling, I missed you so much!"

Tohru chuckled. Her mother was always so affectionate. "You didn't have to wait up for me."

Kyoko hugged her daughter tighter. "How could I sleep knowing my cute little daughter was out there so late at night all by herself?"

Tohru chuckled. "I wasn't by myself. I ran into Akito on my way back."

"Akito Sohma?" Kyoko asked, finally releasing her.

"Yeah, him." Not for the first time she wondered if Akito and her boss were related, having the same last name. Then again, Sohma was a common name.

Her mother gave her daughter a curious look. "Is there something going on between you two. He does seem to have a thing for you. But what about you?"

Tohru looked down. She may be naïve, but she wasn't fool enough not to notice Akito's advances to her… even if she was the last one to realize it. "Akito is… very mysterious. I'm not sure what he and I are. It's clear that he wants something more than friendship. But I want to keep things the way they are. Besides, he has all the other girls in town after him. Why would he want a nobody like me?"

"Don't belittle yourself, Tohru. Don't you know how very, very cute you are? But if you don't want to be anything more than friends, why don't you just tell him?"

Tohru thought about it a moment. "But I have no excuse. I don't want to reject him without a good reason. It will be bad enough rejecting him with a good reason."

Kyoko eyed her daughter suspiciously. "Well, tell me one reason why you don't want to get into a relationship with him right now."

"His eyes." Tohru said, almost immediately. "It's something about his eyes. Whenever I look in them, I just…" She shivered. "I see something cold and dark. It scares me a bit sometimes. I know I shouldn't judge someone by the way they look, but it's not just that. It's the way he smiles, the way he moves, the way he talks. It all just seems so…" She shivered again. But I can't tell him _that_."

Kyoko hugged her daughter, gently this time. "Tohru, you have such a big heart. And you see things that other people don't. If you say there's something off about Akito, then I trust your judgment."

"I would like to help him, though." Tohru said, then yawned.

Kypko pattered her daughter on the head. "Tohru, you can't save the world. Some people have to help themselves. Now come on, off to bed with you."

Tohru sleepily began to make her way to her room. "Mr. Sohma gave me the day off tomorrow with pay."

"That was nice of him."

"I'll have to think of some way to pay him back."

"You do that, dear, now get to bed. And I want you to sleep in late."

Tohru poked her head out of her room. "But, Mom, you're leaving really early tomorrow, aren't you. I wanted to see you off."

Kyoko shook her head. "You're not getting up early on my account. Now get yourself bed."

"Yes, Mom…"

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Later that night, after Tohru was asleep, Kyoko crept into her daughter's room and turned off the alarm clock Tohru had set so she could get up before her mother left the next morning. Smiling at her daughter's kindheartedness, she kissed her on the head before heading to bed herself.

Little did she now what tomorrow would bring. Little did she know that Tohru would still be asleep when she left and wouldn't be able to tell her to be safe. Little did she know that she wouldn't be safe.

**(A/N: Yes, Akito is a boy in this. I know it gets confusing; in the manga he was a girl, in the anime he was a boy. I'm also aware that Kureno is the rooster of the zodiac, but as you can plainly see, he's quite human. That will be explained later.)**


	3. Chapter 2: Old Rivals

**(A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I had midterms. You know, those extremely annoying tests that take up all your free time and are worth 30 percent of your grade. I hate those things, even more than you hate waiting for updates.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 2: Old Rivals**

Kyoko left early the next morning, being very quiet so she wouldn't wake her cute little angel. Her Tohru deserved her time off. She did feel bad about leaving her daughter behind while she went off to meet her friends, but Tohru had insisted upon it, saying that with as hard as she worked, she should have a chance to relax.

'_Maybe I won't stay for the whole week.'_ She thought. _'I'll leave earlier and get back to my cute little daughter.'_

After an hour of riding, she spotted several other lights from other bikes heading towards her. Was it her friends? She could have sworn she was supposed to be visiting them, not the other way around. Maybe they had decided to come to see her cute little Tohru.

But as the other bikers approached, she saw that it wasn't her old gang after all. In fact, to her horror, it was her old _rival_ gang. She hadn't seen them in a long time. She'd thought, hoped, that their gang had dissolved like hers had. These people were trouble.

The bikers passed her, then doubled back, circling around Kyoko. Once she was boxed in, they came to a stop, and the leader approached her, removing their helmet.

"Well, well, well. Just look who it is. Kyoko the Red Butterfly. Didn't expect to see you again."

Kyoko met the woman's gaze. "Motoko Minagawa, long time no see."

Motoko smirked. "I thought you'd retired. Thought you'd never get back on the bike."

Kyoko snorted. "I did retire. Just having a friendly reunion with my friends."

"Really? And what does your husband think about you going off with your old gang, the Suicide Squad. Oh, that's right, I forgot. He's dead."

This got a laugh from the others in the gang. Kyoko's grip on her bike tightened as she struggled to keep her temper. She didn't want to start a fight. She knew that Motoko and her gang could be quite ruthless if you crossed them.

"I will see him again." she stated calmly. "Until then, I live for my daughter. She's everything to me. As long as I have her, I'll be happy."

Motoko scowled. "You're daughter, eh?"

Kyoko nodded proudly. "Yes, she's really, really cute. I'm so proud of her. She's everything I could ever hope for."

"How sweet." Motoko snapped. "You sure sound smug. I guess you're proud of the life you're leading."

Kyoko sensed a ploy. Motoko didn't seem to have changed in the past years, always itching for a fight. "Yes, I think things have turned out well. I'm enjoying life."

A wicked smile crept up Motoko's face. "So, the life of a biker didn't suit you, and you moved on. And now you're happy with the ay things are. Is that it?" She turned to her gang. "Sounds to me that she thinks she's better than bikers, meaning us."

Kyoko's eyes twitched irritably. So that was Motoko's plan. "I didn't say that! You're putting words in my mouth."

Motoko's eyes narrowed. "How about I put my fist in your mouth?" She motioned to her gang. "Girls, I think it's time we gave the Red Butterfly here a long overdue lesson in manners."

Kyoko's anger turned to nervousness as she spotted the weapons the girls had. It was time to leave before things got bad.

Her motor roared to life as she sped past the gang leader. She heard Motoko shout to her gang to follow her. She had to get away; to go somewhere public where Motoko and her cronies wouldn't cause trouble.

"Right behind you, Red Butterfly!" cried one of the gang members.

With a growl, Kyoko went off road. She wouldn't be able to get away staying on the street. But Motoko and her gain continued to chase her.

"Take this!" a biker yelled.

A chain wrapped around her bike, and Kyoko lost control as the biker pulled her out of control. Another biker came up behind her and swung a lead pipe. Kyoko missed it, but it still hit her bike. Then another chain wrapped around her bike, this time on the left side. Both bikers pulled, and Kyoko was stuck, heading straight for a tree.

Unable to break away, she jumped off her bike before it crashed into the tree. The bike was smashed, but the gang wasn't finished yet. Motoko was holding a bottle of alcohol with a burning cloth shoved down it.

"Say goodbye to your bike, Red Butterfly!" Motoko shouted, throwing the flaming bottle. Kyoko's bike burst into flames. With a cruel smirk on her face, Motoko turned to her rival. "That's it for your bike, and now to finish you." Her grin widened. "I'll give you a thirty second head start."

Kyoko glared at her. She was not a coward, nor was she one to run away from her problems, but she wasn't stupid either. She knew that she didn't stand a chance against Motoko's gang alone. She had to get out of her, now.

With once last glance at her beloved bike, Kyoko took off. She left the road, knowing it would be harder for the bikers to follow her through the woods. True, she stood a good chance of getting lost, but it was better than facing the biker's head on.

As she ran, she heard Motoko counting down loudly while her cronies laughed. Who was she kidding; she didn't stand a chance. She just hoped that she would get out of her alive, if her pursuers were that merciful.

'_No, Kyoko, don't think that way!'_ she scolded herself. _'You have a cute daughter waiting for you at home. You have to get away.'_

She could hear the sound of the bikers closing in on her and ran faster. She lost her footing and tripped, rolling down a hill and landing in a puddle.

'_God, if you're listening, please show me how to get away.'_

She sat up and her mouth dropped open. Before her was a large estate, surrounded by a wall. Now _that_ was a sign if she ever saw one.

'_Sanctuary!'_

Of course, her sanctuary didn't seem all that wonderful. She could tell just by looking at the outside wall. It looked like no one had lived here in years. Could this be the mysterious Sohma estate? She had heard rumors that the Sohma family once had property that had been abandoned for unknown reasons. But no one lived there anymore.

Still, beggars couldn't be choosers.

She ran to the gate, only to find it chained shut. But it was still open the slightest bit. Could she fit through?

"Time for all that working out to come in handy." She muttered, and began squeezing through the small space.

"There she is!" one of the bikers cried. "Hurry, she's trying to get away!"

Kyoko heard the sound of the bikers getting closer. And not only did she not fit inside, she was stuck.

"Prepare yourself, Honda!" Motoko cried. "We're coming for you!"

Taking a deep breath, Kyoko sucked in her got and pushed forward. She slid through, falling painfully to the ground.

Motoko and her gang came to a stop outside the gate, glaring at Kyoko from the other side. "Don't think you're safe, Red Butterfly. You're not getting away from us. Number Two!"

One of the girls hopped off their bike and retrieved an axe. With a wicked grin, she began slamming the chains. Kyoko gulped nervously. Those chains were old and rusted. It wouldn't take long to break through them. She had to find someplace to hide.

As she took off, and the bikers attempted to break in, none of them were away that two pairs of eyes were watching them.

"Well now, what are the odds?" Said one of the two. "The first visitors we have in years, and it's a rather unwelcoming group. Hmm, I wonder why they're chasing that girl."

The second one cut their eyes at the first. "Shigure, this is serious. That woman is in trouble. We have to do something."

The first person, Shigure, chuckled. "Always the chivalrous prince, eh, Yuki? Alright, I have a plan. You stay here."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Complete unaware of the other two, Kyoko ran through the abandoned estate. The others had already broken in and were gaining on her. She needed a place to hide. Somewhere. Anywhere.

But her luck seemed to run out as she took a wrong turn and came to a dead end. She turned around to head in another direction, only to find the bikers racing towards her.

"Prepare to die, Honda!" Motoko yelled, wielding a metal bat.

Suddenly something moved in between Kyoko and the bikers. It was a large dog. Ordinarily, a simple dog wouldn't stop Motoko and her gang, but there was something about this dog that brought them to a halt. This dog was glaring at them, growling and baring its fangs as foam dripped from its mouth.

"T-That thing is rabid!" Motoko cried.

"Mad dog!" cried one of the girls. "Mad dog! Run away!"

They turned and fled, the dog right behind them. Kyoko remained where she was, frozen in fear. Great, first she runs into some 'old friends', then a rabid dog. Some vacation this turned out to be.

'_Go now.'_ she told herself. _'Leave while it's chasing them.'_

She made a move to leave but stopped when she saw the dog ten feet away. It was looking in the direction the bikers had run off in and was… snickering. What?

"Oh boy, that was great." Said the dog, much to Kyoko astonishment. "I always wanted to do that." He wiped the foam from his mouth. "Mmm, minty."

"I suppose that's the first time you've brushed your teeth since you were cursed."

The dog turned to the speaker, a little mouse walking on two legs. He grinned at the rodent. "Well we dogs do have something in our saliva that keeps our teeth clean."

"It does nothing for your breath though." The mouse replied. "And did you not notice that the woman you were trying to rescue was right behind you when you decided to open your big mouth?"

The dog's grin faded as he turned to Kyoko. "Oops, my bad."

**(A/N: Ok, so we made it up to the part were Kyoko [Belle's father] hides from the bikers [wolves] in the Sohma estate [castle]. And we all know what's inside.)**


	4. Chapter 3: The Beast

**(A/N: Well, if you'll remember from the movie, Belle's father handled the talking objects rather well. Lets see how well Kyoko will deal with talking animals.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 3: The Beast**

The rat sighed, knowing that their cover was blown. "You are an idiot. But I guess it can't be helped." He turned to Kyoko and bowed. "I am sorry if we startled you ma'am. My name is Yuki, and this is my cousin Shigure."

Kyoko continued to stare at the two animals with her mouth hanging open. "Animals… Talking…"

Yuki sighed. "Yes, I'm sorry. I know this is shocking. It's not everyday that you come across talking animals."

"Except for parrots." Said Shigure happily, wagging his tail.

Yuki cut his eyes at him. "I think it would be better if you don't speak at all. For various reasons."

Kyoko stared at them for a moment before feeling her forehead. "Do I have a fever? Did I hit my head? Am I still alive? Or maybe I've lost my mind."

"Nope, you're quite sane." Shigure assured her. "It's us with the problem."

"I'm hearing voices, and you say you're the ones with the problem." Kyoko muttered. "I can't believe I'm talking to a dog. Why am I _still_ talking to you?"

Yuki cleared his throat. "Please, Miss…"

"Honda. Mrs. Honda."

Yuki nodded. "Excuse me, Mrs. Honda. If it will ease your mind, I would like to inform you that we are merely humans under a curse."

Kyoko blinked. "A curse."

"Sadly, yes." Shigure added. "Ever since we were children, we've been under the Zodiac Enchantment."

Kyoko looked confused. "The Zodiac Enchantment? What's that?"

"To put it simply, we are cursed to become the animals of the zodiac, depending on our birthdays. As you can tell, I am the year of the dog, Yuki here is the year of the rat."

"Hmm." Kyoko muttered. "My daughter is the year of the dog too." _'Am I actually having this conversation?'_

"Really." Said Shigure, looking interested. "I would certainly like to meet another dog. Especially if she got her looks from you."

While Kyoko blushed, Yuki smacked Shigure. "Stop those thoughts right now. We don't want to get anyone else involved."

Kyoko's eyes widened. "Oh, if you don't want to be found out then I won't ever tell anyone. You have my word."

"That's very nice of you," said Yuki, "but I'm afraid that we're required to erase the memories of us from any outsiders."

Kyoko blinked, looking worried. "Erase… my memories."

"Please don't worry, Mrs. Honda. It's sort of like hypnosis. It will be simply like falling asleep. And when you wake up, you'll be back home with no memory of us. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Kyoko shook her head. "Oh, no, it's not that. If it will make you feel better, you can erase my memories. I don't want to cause a problem for you. Especially after you saved me."

"Thank you for understanding."

Shigure's ears perked up. "It sounds like a storm is coming in."

Kyoko frowned, looking up at the sky. "Aww, it was supposed to be sunny today." She turned back to the others. "Guess it's going to be a rough walk home."

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Do you not have transportation?"

Kyoko smiled sadly. "Not anymore. Those bikers destroyed my bike."

Yuki scratched his chin. "Well, I suppose you could stay until the rain lets up."

Shigure nudged the rat. "Is that a good idea? What if _he_ finds out?"

"We'll take her to my house. He hasn't come there since… ever."

"Point taken. I'll go tell the others we have a guest."

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Mrs. Honda, please follow me."

Kyoko had long since stopped trying to make sense of the situation as she followed the rat. She received another shock when she walked inside. The house was a _mess._ It hadn't looked like it had ever been cleaned.

"I'm sorry for the mess." Yuki told her. "All our servants left, and being animals, we're not in the best of conditions to clean up."

Kyoko shook her head. "Oh no, it's fine. I'm just grateful for your hospitality."

"YUKI!!!" Both the woman and the rat jumped as an excited rabbit suddenly ran in. "Yuki, is it true that there's a guest here? It's been so long since I've met anyone new." That's when he noticed Kyoko. "Hello!" He jumped on her, hugging her leg. "My name's Momiji! I'm so happy you stopped by! Are you going to stay long? What's your name? Do you want to play a game with me?"

"Momiji, calm yourself."

Kyoko's eyes widened as she noticed the small seahorse on the rabbit's head when it spoke. "Oh, um, hi."

The seahorse nodded in greeting. "Good day to you. I am Hatori. And, as this energetic rabbit has announced, he is Momiji."

"Momiji, that's me!" the rabbit cried. "Will you be my friend?"

"Um, sure."

"Yay!"

"She's not your play thing." Hatori lightly scolded. "Can I get you anything, ma'am? Perhaps some tea?"

Wondering how that little seahorse was going to serve her tea, she politely declined. "Thank you, but I'm alright." She looked at each of the animals. "So, how many of you are there?"

"Twelve." Yuki replied. "One for each sign on the zodiac."

"Thirteen if you count Kyo?" Momiji asked.

The others gasped.

"Momiji, shh!" Yuki shushed.

Kyoko blinked. "Who's Kyo?"

The door burst open, and they all jumped. Shigure was tossed into the room by a large creature. With a growl, it stepped into the room, teeth bared. The others took a step back fearfully, but Kyoko was frozen to the spot.

The beast glared at her, his eyes burning with anger. "I'm Kyo. Who are you?"

Kyoko struggled to find her voice. I-I'm K-K-Kyoko Hon-Honda?"

"Well, Kyoko Honda, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?"

Kyoko stepped backwards and tripped. "I-I was just-"

"Outsiders are not welcome! How dare you come here!"

Kyoko was shaking with fear, unable to take her eyes off the creature. Her staring only seemed to make the beast angrier.

"What are you staring at? Stop gawking at me!"

But she couldn't take her eyes off him. "What are you?"

"What the hell does it matter? You come onto my property uninvited, and then you show me such disrespect! You have no right to be here at all!"

Kyoko's eyes began to water, but not due to fear, but because the creature had a horrible odor than stung her eyes. Unconsciously, she covered her nose so she wouldn't smell the stench.

Kyo didn't miss the gesture. "So now you think I smell bad? You're nothing but a rude girl with no manners! And you're still staring at me like I'm something to look at in a zoo! I bet that's what you're thinking; that I belong in a cage!"

Kyoko shook her head. "I wasn't thinking that."

"DON'T LIE!!! You're all the same! You think I should be locked away! Well, lets just see how you enjoy being imprisoned!"

He grabbed her arm and began dragging her out the door.

"Kyo, wait!" Yuki cried. "Please, control yourself."

Kyo turned to him, glaring daggers. "Silence, you damn rat! Did you think I wouldn't notice an outsider, even if you did bring her into your home? This is your fault, you know! You should have left her alone!"

"We were trying to be hospitable." Said Shigure.

"Then I'll follow your example." Kyo growled. "I'll make sure she's nice and comfortable… in the cat house!"

He slammed the door shut so hard that it nearly broke off its hinges, taking Kyoko with him.

**(A/N: Yikes, Kyo's really got a temper. But seriously, can you blame him. He's been turned into a hideous smelly thing, and his mind is slowly becoming more savage. I think he has the right to be a little moody sometimes.)**


	5. Chapter 4: Proposal

**(A/N: This chapter gets rather dramatic. It's the scene where Gaston proposes to Belle. Lets see how Tohru handles Akito.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 4: Proposal**

Now was the time. With her mother gone, he would have more of a chance. Akito smirked as he neared Tohru's house with Kureno right behind him. Though Akito seemed confident, Kureno looked like he had doubts about the situation.

"Akito, are you sure this is wise?" he asked. "It _is_ rather sudden."

Akito just chuckled. "Please, Kureno. She's a girl. Girls need someone strong and reliable to protect them. And who is better than me? I'm rich, powerful, not to mention handsome. All the other women want me. Tohru won't deny me."

Kureno nodded. "I'm not saying you're not all those things. I simply mean that those sort of things don't seem to matter to Miss Honda. She is rather… unusual."

"Yes," Akito agreed, "she's sure to keep my life interesting."

He knocked on the door. After a few moments, Tohru opened the door, looking surprised to see him there.

"Oh, Akito! Hello. What brings you here?"

Akito smiled, offering her a bow. "I simply wished to see you, Miss Honda. Is that so wrong?"

Tohru blinked, somewhat surprised by his behavior. Normally Akito acted as if he were above everyone else. "Oh, no, not at all. It's always a pleasure to have you over. I guess I was just surprised."

Akito's smirk grew bigger. "I have another surprise for you. May I come in?"

"Oh, yes, of course, certainly. Please." She turned to Kureno. "You can come in too."

"He will stay out here." Akito replied. "I have a few things I would like to speak to you about in private."

Tohru blinked. "Oh, ok." She closed the door. "May I get you anything? I was just fixing lunch. Would you care to join me?"

Akito glanced at the kitchen where a delicious smell was coming from. "It smells lovely. I'm sure I'll be enjoying it a lot in the future."

"Sure, I'd be happy to cook for you. I'm really good in the art of rice ball making."

Akito chuckled. The poor girl was so innocent, so naïve. Nothing like the other girls in town. "The art of rice ball making, huh? Only you would say something like that, Tohru. You're like a rice ball yourself. A rice ball in a fruits basket."

Tohru cocked her head to the side, not exactly sure what he meant. "Please, have a seat. What'd you want to talk about?"

Akito took her offer and sat down on the couch, stretching out on it as if he owned the place. "There are several things I wish to discuss." He fell silent for a moment. "Tell me, Tohru, do you ever think about what the future has in store for you?"

Tohru blinked, not expecting him to ask her _that_. "The future? No, not really. Mom and I just like to live for the here and now and not worry about what tomorrow might bring. What ever happens, happens, and we'll just have to make the best of it."

Akito chuckled. "Quite an idealistic view you have. But, my dear Tohru, you have no idea just how cruel the world can be. You may have lived a happy and secure life so far, but there's no guarantee that things will stay that way."

Tohru nodded. "I know. But I plan to do my best. Like my motto says, never give up!"

Akito sat up. "You're so cute when you're determine." He patted the spot beside him. "Come, sit by me." He waited for her to join him on the couch. "Tell me, does an optimistic person like you ever consider a love relationship?"

A slight blush appeared on Tohru's face. "A l-l-love relationship?" She began talking fast like she usually did when she got nervous. "Oh, no, no, no! There wouldn't be anyone interested in me! I'm just an ordinary girl! No one would even look at me twice!"

Reaching up, Akito ran his fingers through her hair. _'How naïve you are.'_ "I didn't ask what other people thought. I asked how you felt about it."

She gave him her trademark smile, but there was a hint of sadness in it. "Of course, it'd be nice. I mean, who doesn't want to have someone to love and be loved by. But that's just not an option for me right now. Mom and I are struggling to get by. I know that Mom works so hard for my sake. So I have to work hard for her too. I'm afraid I don't have time to get into a relationship right now."

"Such a responsible person you are." He leaned in close, invading her personal space. "What if your future was set? What if you could have anything you wanted?"

"But I have everything I could ever want. I've got a mother that loves me, I've got good friends. We're all happy and healthy. What more could I possibly want?"

Feeling slightly irritated, Akito leaned back. "You're far too content. But perhaps that's just because you've lived such a mediocre life. If only you could have a taste of the life I've lived."

Tohru shook her head. "No offense, Akito, but I don't believe that money and fancy objects can bring happiness. True happiness is found in ourselves."

A slight frown appeared on Akito's face. "You may have a point." He said, as he tried to think of a time when he was happy. Truly happy. He couldn't think of one. He may have been satisfied his whole life, but he couldn't think of a time when he truly had a reason to smile. "As for me, I have my life planned out. I'm head of the Sohma family. I'm rich, well known, powerful. But all those things don't seem to be capable of giving me this one particular thing I want."

Tohru offered him a smile. "Well, what is it? Maybe I can help."

Akito chuckled. She _was_ the only one who could help. "What if what want is you, Tohru?" He waited a couple of seconds. Tohru seemed to be frozen, that silly grin still on her face. "Tohru?"

Suddenly she sprung to her feet. "Oh my! I left the rice in the cooker! I better go check! Excuse me!"

The next thing he knew, she was gone. Slightly taken aback, Akito calmly got to his feet and walked into the kitchen. He found Tohru making the finishing touched to her lunch. He walked up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulder. He felt her tense, like a small animal cornered by a predator. It made him smile.

"You never answered my question, Tohru."

She laughed nervously. "Oh, Akito, you shouldn't play games with me like that. Stop teasing."

His grip tightened. "You know I have never been one to play games. Now I demand an answer."

He felt her beginning to tremble. She was clearly nervous about the situation. "A-Akito, I don't know what to say. I mean, we're friends, but…"

She left sentence hanging. Akito narrowed his eyes. "But what?" She didn't answer. He became angry and turned her around to face him. "But what?"

The look in her eyes was fearful. "I just don't like you like that." she told him.

They were silent for a moment. Akito studied her face, running her words over in his head. "You could learn to. You know I can give you anything. If you were mine, Tohru, the world will be at your disposal. Say you'll be mine, Tohru. Become my wife and have everything you and your mother could ever want."

She turned her head away, her eyes sad. "I'm really sorry, Akito, but I just can't."

Akito's eyes flashed with anger, and he pushed her away from him. "You bitch!" He grabbed the rice she was making and threw it against the wall. "How dare you say no to me! I can have any girl I want, but I want you! I offer you anything you could ever want, and you throw it back in my face!"

Tohru remained on the ground, not looking at him. She felt tears welding up in her eyes. She didn't want this. She didn't want to hurt Akito like this, but she couldn't force herself in this situation. She just couldn't.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Akito shouted.

He grabbed her by the arm and aggressively pulled her to her feet.

"Ouch, Akito let go, you're hurting me!"

"Shut up! You deserve to be punished for your defiance! How dare you turn me down! Me! Akito Sohma! No one says no to me!"

"I'm sorry, Akito!" she cried. "If I could be your special someone, I would. But I just can't. I'd be living a lie for both of us. I can't do it. I have to stay true to my heart."

Akito growled. "True to your heart? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, you ungrateful wench! You should be on your knees kissing my shoes for even considering having you as my bride!"

She didn't reply. She just stood there silently, her eyes down, leaking tears. It made Akito furious, but it made him want her more. "Why won't you say anything? Why won't you even look at me?"

When she still didn't answer, he slammed her up against the wall. She did nothing to defend herself. She didn't fight or scream. She just accepted his aggressiveness.

A cruel smile spread across Akito's face as he leaned in close to talk directly in her ear. "I could take you by force, you know. I'm a lot stronger than you are; there's no way you could stop me. And I'll get away with it too. No one in town would dare to go against me. And it wouldn't just be once, either." His eyes narrowed. "What do you say to that, Miss Honda?"

She looked up at him sadly. "If you do that, Akito, you'll never get what you want. This sort of thing isn't something you can take by force. You'll just end up destroying what you love. I know you, Akito. And I know you won't do it. You can't stand to lose. You may gain a small part of what you want, but you'll have lost all hope for what you truly want."

Akiko's temper hit the roof, and he raised his hand to strike her. Her calm attitude, her defiance, her lack of fear, it was infuriating. He wanted her to be crying and begging. How dare she show no fear.

But what angered him the most was that she was right. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to, oh how he wanted to, whether she was willing or not, but he just couldn't. It was like an invisible force was preventing him from carrying out his threat.

"Very well." He said, slowly lowering his hand. "I can't bring myself to force you. But I won't accept no for an answer. There are other ways I can get through to you. I have the power to bring great fortune to you, Miss Honda, but I can also bring great sorrow. The mortgage on your house, I can make it worse. Getting a job, I can see to it that you and your mother never get work again. If I wanted to, I can make your lives miserable. So think carefully before you reject me again. You will pay if you refuse me, and you'll spend the rest of your life feeling sorry for yourself."

Tohru was silent for a moment, but then she looked up at him with eyes filled with, not the fear he expected, but pity. Pity for him.

"Akito," she said sadly, "the one I feel sorry for is you."

Her words stunned him. He didn't know why, but they did. Here he was with all the power and wealth in the world, capable of doing anything he wanted, even completely destroying her and her mother's lives, and _she_ felt sorry for _him_.

He took a step back. He suddenly had to get away. He couldn't be near her right now. He just had to get away.

He turned away and ran for the door. He burst outside into the fresh air, storming past Kureno. His cousin looked surprised by the way he was behaving, but he didn't care. He was beaten. Tohru Honda had defeated him. She had said no, and gotten away with it.

'_The little tramp! She'll pay for this! Mark my words, she will pay! She will be mine! I swear it! Tohru Honda will belong to me and only me!_

She would soon learn the hard way that no one said no to Akito Sohma.

**(A/N: This scene is supposed to relate to Tohru's confrontation with Akito in the anime. You know, you've got to feel sorry for Akito a little bit. The reason why Tohru pities him is because he has everything he could ever need and he's still not happy. It's true that money can't buy happiness. She made him realize this and just how empty his life is, because you all know what Akito was like on the anime. He was so cruel that the only way he could get any affection was by forcibly taking it. The reason he couldn't force himself on her was because he knew it would destroy her, and then she wouldn't be the Tohru he knew any more. So, who liked this chapter? Tell me your opinions.)**


	6. Chapter 5: The Psychic

**(A/N: Ok, so Tohru has rejected Akito. Now comes the part where she learns of her mother's fate and makes her way to the Sohma estate..)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 5: The Psychic**

Tohru wasn't sure how long she remained on the floor after Akito left, but the sun had gone down and the cold was creeping in through the door he had left open. She felt utterly miserable. She felt like she had brought Akito unimaginable pain. She knew she had hurt him, but she believed that if she did accept his proposal, they would both be hurt in the long run a lot more.

He had scared her though. The part about how he could destroy her and her mother's life had really worried her. Akito may not force himself on her, but she knew that he could and would do everything in his power to make their lives miserable.

But it wasn't for herself who she was worried. It had been for her mother. Her mother had already been through so much, that Tohru couldn't bear to bring her mother anymore pain.

But she knew that what would hurt her mother the most was if she was unhappy. Tohru knew that what her mother wanted more than anything was for her to be happy. And being with Akito would not bring that. Even if Akito did follow through with his threats, Tohru knew that her mother would rather face Akito's wrath with a smile on her face than have her daughter surrender to him.

Her depressing thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. Tohru slowly got to her feet and went to answer it. "Honda residence. This is Tohru Honda speaking."

"_Tohru!" _cried the person on the other line. _"It's been so long since I've heard your voice."_

Tohru managed a small smile as she recognized the speaker. "Arisa Uotani! Is that you? Oh my gosh, it's been so long! How are you? How's everyone else?"

"_We're all doing good. It's been quite a reunion. Or it would be if our leader were here."_

Tohru's smile vanished. "What? No leader?"

"_Yeah, your mother never showed up. That's why I'm calling. Is she there?"_

Fear gripped Tohru's heart. "She left two days ago. You mean she never showed up?"

"_Never. We thought something had come up."_

Tohru began to panic. What had happened? Did she get into an accident? Did she get lost? Was she hurt? Was she… was she…

"I'm sorry, Arisa, but I have to go!" she cried. "Please call me if she arrives."

"_Will do. And you call if you see her."_

Without even saying goodbye, Tohru hung up and ran out of the house. She needed to find her mother. And she knew the one person that would be able to help her.

Running up to a house, she began banging on the door of the Hanajima house. "Saki! Are you there? Saki, please open the door! I need you!"

She waited nervously for a few moments before the door opened and a black haired girl stood in the doorway.

"Tohru Honda." She said emotionlessly. "I sensed you coming. What brings you here so late?"

Breathing heavily, Tohru explained the situation. "My mom left two days ago to have a reunion with her friends in her old home! But I just got a call from Arisa saying that Mom never showed up and they have no idea where she is! Please, Saki, use your power to help me find Mom! I'll do anything! I don't have much money, but I can-"

"Please come inside." Saki said nonchalantly.

Tohru followed her inside. Upon meeting Saki, one would think that someone with her dark attitude would live in an eerie house. But Saki's home was just like any other.

Saki led Tohru over to a table, where a crystal ball sat on top. Saki sat on one side of the table and Tohru sat on the other. Saki reached across the table and grabbed Tohru's hands.

"Now please, Tohru, say the name of the one you're searching for."

Tohru nodded. "Kyoko Honda."

Saki closed her eyes, concentrating. Tohru remained silent, having seen Saki work her psychic power before. She was surprisingly very good at it, though not to the extent as some of those people on TV and movies.

"I see a rundown estate." Saki replied. "There ars animals running around. They're sad and scared. But they're not normal animals. They're bound by something. Something powerful."

"Is Mom there?" Tohru asked anxiously.

"Patience. I also see a creature of some sort. A beast. I can't make out its features, but I sense pain, so much pain. Pain and anger."

"But what about Mom?"

Saki remained silent for a moment. "She's there. I see her. She's trapped. She can't get away." Her eyes opened. "She's worried for you."

Tohru felt like crying. What had happened? Where was her mother? "Can you tell me how to find her? Please, I have to help."

"Hand me that paper and pencil.

Tohru did as she was told. Saki closed her eyes and began drawing. It was strange how she was able to do that without looking, but Tohru didn't question her friend's ability.

Saki opened her eyes again and looked down at the drawing. It was a rough sketch of a map. It looked like a two year old had drawn it, but it could still be followed if one looked hard enough.

"This is the best I could do." She said, handing Tohru the paper. "I'm sorry I cannot see further beyond that."

Tohru shook her head, gratefully accepting the map. "Thank you so much. What do I owe you?"

Though Saki expressed no emotion, she still managed a small smile. "Your fee is to return safely with your mother. I wish you all the luck."

Tohru nodded. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She got up to leave, but Saki wasn't finished. "Beware, Tohru. I sense powerful magic where you're going. There are forces at work that even I can't see."

Again, Tohru nodded. "I'll be careful. Thanks again."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

It wasn't easy following the scribble on the piece of paper that was supposed to be a map. But Tohru had somehow managed. After several hours, she found herself outside of a gate surrounding a property that looked as if it had been abandoned long ago.

"A rundown estate." Tohru whispered. "This must be it."

She approached the gate, looking through the small opening. It didn't seem like anyone was home. Her first thought was to call out, but then she remembered what Saki had said about her mother being imprisoned, and that there was some monstrous creature here.

"I know it's rude to come in uninvited, but…"

She squeezed through the small space, having an easier time than her mother. Doing a very bad job at remaining hidden, she crept around, occasionally looking through the windows of the houses. Once or twice she saw an animal, but merely dismissed it.

"Is that a cow?" she muttered, after looking through one window.

Even though she wasn't keeping a low profile, she still managed to sneak around unnoticed. That is, until a certain dog picked up the scent of an intruder.

Shigure's ears perked up as he jumped to his feet. Yuki gave him a look, wondering what had him so excited.

"What's up? Do you smell something?"

"Something!" Shigure sang. "It's a girl."

"A girl?" Yuki repeated. "Perhaps you're only smelling Mrs. Honda."

Shigure shook his head. "No, the smell is similar, but different." He sniffed the air again and his eyes lit up excitedly. "It's a high school girl!"

This got Yuki's attention. "Are you serious? But why would- Hey where are you going?"

Shigure ignored him as he hopped happily to the door. "High school girl! High school girl!"

Sighing, Yuki followed him, climbing up onto his back when he caught up. They saw Tohru wandering around, looking lost.

"Ooh, a real cutie!" Shigure exclaimed.

"You letch." Yuki muttered. "But still, what would someone like her be doing here?" His eyes widened. "You don't think…"

"Yup." Shigure replied. "Mrs. Honda did mention that she had a daughter. Although I have no idea how she got here."

"It doesn't matter. Lets show her where her mother is."

Shigure nodded. "Alrighty, then. Hey, Miss-"

Yuki hit him over the head. "Don't talk, you idiot! Just be a normal dog."

"Right, right. Sorry."

With Yuki still on his head, Shigure walked over to Tohru, behaving a little too proper for a dog. He startled her by suddenly nudging her from behind with his nose. Tohru jumped, not expecting the sudden contact.

"Dog?" she muttered.

"Bark!" said Shigure.

Yuki smacked his forehead. _'You idiot. You're supposed to bark, not say it.'_

Shigure nudged Tohru in the direction he knew her mother was located in.

"What? This way?" Tohru asked.

"Bow wow." Shigure replied, causing Yuki to roll his eyes.

Tohru let the dog lead her, raising an eyebrow at the rat on his head, but not questioning it. Finding her mother was her main objective. This dog seemed to know what she wanted, so she let him lead her on.

When they had reached their destination, Shigure ran over to the cat house and barked. Tohru gave the cage a hopeful look.

"M-Mom?"

"Tohru?"

Tohru's eyes lit up. Her mother _was_ here!

She ran over to, what seemed to be, a prison cell. Her mother was indeed in there, looking at Tohru in disbelief. She jumped to her feet and ran to the bars, grabbing her daughter's hand.

"My little Tohru? Is that really you?"

Tears were pouring down Tohru's face. "Yes, Mom. I came to find you."

"But how?"

"I got a call from Arisa. She was wondering what happened to you when you didn't show up. I went to see Saki to see if she could find you."

Kyoko blinked. "Your psychic friend?"

Tohru nodded. "She told me how to find you."

Worry filled Kyoko's face. "Tohru, listen to me. You have you get away from here now."

Tohru looked confused. "But I have to get you out."

Kyoko shook her head. "No, don't worry about me. Leave now, before it's too late."

Tohru opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out, a large deformed hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. The next thing Tohru knew, she was looking into a pair of angry reptilian eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

**(A/N: I had a little trouble in thinking of a way for Tohru to get to the Sohma estate since there was no horse to bring her there. The Saki came to mind along with her electric wave powers, so I simply improvised from there. Next chapter is the confrontation with the beast. You won't want to miss it.)**


	7. Chapter 6: Trade

**(A/N: Sorry for the hold up. I've been distracted. You know, finals and everything. But they're over now, so lets move onto happier things. Well, this chapter isn't happy, but hopefully you'll still like it.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 6: Trade**

Fear gripped Tohru's heart as she looked at the large creature before her. She began trembling as the beast stared down at her furiously.

"W-Who are you?" she asked fearfully.

Her question infuriated the beast. "You dare to question me when you're the one trespassing!"

Kyoko gripped the bars. "Kyo, don't you hurt her!"

"Shut up!" Kyo snapped. "As a prisoner, you have no right to make demands!"

Tohru's eyes widened. "Prisoner?" she whispered.

The beast turned back to her. "And just what the hell are you muttering about?"

Tohru tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, but was unable to control her fear. "Please, let Mom go. Whatever she did, I know she didn't mean to, and I know she's sorry."

Kyo slammed his large hand against the wall. "Didn't mean to? She trespassed here quite intentionally, then she had the nerve to insult me and imply that I smelled bad! And you call that not meaning to?

Tohru made a small scared noise. It was true though, this creature did have an awful scent; like something dead and rotting. Tohru was having trouble not gagging.

"B-But, Mom's a good person. She's really nice and would never do anything mean like that."

Kyo growled. "Annoying girl. You're just like her. I can see the family resemblance."

A tear ran down Tohru's cheek. "Please, just let her go."

He growled again. "No. She wants to treat me like an animal, then I'll give her the same treatment. She needs a lesson in manners." His eyes narrowed. "You do too. Perhaps I'll just keep you here instead."

His words rang through her mind. Summoning up her courage, she spoke while she was still able to. "Will you let her go if I stay?"

The question caught Kyo off guard; the surprise clearly showing in his eyes, but he got over it quickly. "What, are you saying you'll take her place?" he asked sarcastically.

Tohru took a deep breath, trying not to vomit. "Yes!"

Again Kyo was surprised. For a brief moment, his eyes softened as he looked at the girl standing up to him despite her fear. "You'll really trade yourself for her?" he asked quietly.

Kyoko's eyes widened. "What? No, no way! Tohru, don't you dare! Just leave me and go! Listen to your mother!"

But Tohru ignored her. "I will."

Kyo's eyes narrowed again. "Even if that means remaining here for the rest of your life? Even if that means being the prisoner of a beast like me?"

Tohru looked up at him. He was hidden in the shadows, hiding his features. Whether it was intentional or not, she didn't know. But she wanted to see what he really looked like. She needed to know what type of monster she was selling herself to.

"Come into the light." She requested.

Kyo remained where he was for a moment, but then stepped out of the shadows, and Tohru got a good look at him for the first time. He looked like a demonic cross between a kangaroo and a dinosaur, yet he was built like a deformed insect. His face was that of monstrous cat, with purple snake-like eyes, long rabbit-like ears, and teeth like a shark. He was bone thin, but his arms and legs became swollen at the ends. He was covered in greenish brownish scales with hair, or perhaps fur, growing over it.

Tohru couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped her. Kyo, this beast, this monstrosity, was a terrifying sight to behold. Could she truly stay with this monster?

She glanced back at her mother, who was still screaming her objections. Yes, for her mother, she could.

Slowly she turned back to Kyo, eyes downcast. "Yes, I trade myself for my mother. I will stay here if you let her go."

"Agreed." Kyo growled. "We have a bargain."

He stormed past her and opened the cat house. The moment the door opened, Kyoko ran to her daughter and embraced her.

"Tohru, there is no way I'm letting you do this. You will not trade your freedom for-" Before she could finish, Kyo pulled them apart and dragged Kyoko away. "No, Tohru, no!"

Tohru's strength left her, and she dropped to her knees, weeping.

Kyo continued to drag Kyoko along, ignoring her protests. "You're so damn loud! Just shut up already!"

"Please!" Kyoko wailed. "Don't take my daughter! I'm the one that wronged you! Let me stay here!"

"I may be a beast, but I keep my word."

"I won't leave her!"

Kyo glared at her. "You have no say in the matter! HATORI!!! HATSUHARU!!!"

A door to one of the houses burst open and a cow came running out with a seahorse sitting on his head.

"You hollered?" the cow asked darkly.

Kyo growled at his sarcastic tone. "I'm in no mood for your black side's attitude. You are to take this girl to town."

"I won't go!" Kyoko shouted.

He held Kyoko out in front of him. "Hatori, erase her memories of her daughter."

Kyoko froze. "What? Erase… my memories… No, no! You can't do that! Don't make me forget my cute little Tohru!"

Hatori gave Kyo a questioning look. "Really, Kyo, show some compassion."

"That's what I'm doing! You're a doctor. Do you think it will be healthy for her to pine away for her daughter? It would be better to forget she ever had a child and to move on with her life."

"It will not!" Kyoko exclaimed.

Hatori stared at Kyoko for a moment before sighing. He placed the end of his tail on her forehead and gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."

Kyoko's eyes were wide and pleading. "Please don't…" she whispered.

There was a flash of light and Kyoko collapsed. Hatori curled his tail up again, not looking at her. "It's done."

Kyo nodded. "Good." He draped her over Hatsuharu's back. "Now take her back."

Without saying anything, Hatsuharu headed for the gate with Kyoko on his back. Kyo didn't even bother to see her off. He turned and stormed back over to where Tohru was. He found her in the same place as before, crying. A small twinge of pity went through Kyo as he watched her. It was immediately replaced with anger. That girl thought she was unhappy? She didn't know what unhappiness was. She couldn't even begin to imagine what true misery was. If she had suffered even a fraction of what he had suffered-

"Kyo."

The beast growled, irritated at having his thoughts interrupted, And by _him_ of all people. "Damn rat, what do you want?"

Yuki didn't back down from Kyo's wrath. "I know the girl is your prisoner, but you're not really going to keep her locked up in the cat house, are you? That's not even justice for her mother's so-called sins. That's just plain cruel."

Kyo growled. He hated taking Yuki's advice on anything, but this was one thing he couldn't ignore. But there was no way he would admit it.

"You just keep your damn mouth shut!" he snapped, then stormed away.

Yuki sighed. "It was only a suggestion."

Kyo ignored him as he approached his new prisoner. "You, girl! Your name's Tohru, right?"

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yes. Tohru Honda."

Kyo snorted. "Then, Tohru Honda, follow me and I'll show you where you'll staying."

Tohru wiped her eyes. "Where I'm staying?" She looked at the cat house. "I thought I would stay here."

Kyo whirled around impatiently. "If you want to live in a cage, then be my guest!"

Tohru stood straight up. "No, I'll go with you."

Grumbling, Kyo led the way. He glanced back at her a couple of times, noting her sad expression. The unfamiliar feeling of pity hit him again. Damn her! Why was he feeling sympathetic towards her? Her pain was nothing compared to his. Even as his prisoner, she should know how lucky she was. True, she may have been separated from her mother, but at least she had a mother.

"You'll stay here." he told here, entering one of the houses. "As long as you stay within the estate, I don't care where you go or what you do. But…" his eyes narrowed, "don't ever enter the main house. Is that understood?"

Tohru nodded. "Sure, but why?"

Kyo whirled around furiously. "THAT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!!! JUST SHUT UP AND DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD!!!"

Tohru winced. "I-I'm sorry."

Kyo growled. "Look, I'm not good at controlling my temper, so try not to piss me off." He took a calming breath. "Dinner is at 6:30. And you better be on time or else that idiot monkey will think we don't like his cooking and throw a fit."

Tohru nodded. "I understand."

A tear ran down her cheek, and Kyo once again felt sympathy for her. His hands balled into fists as he became angry at himself for letting her get to him. "AND STOP CRYING LIKE A DAMNED BABY!!!"

He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The dam finally broke and Tohru collapsed, crying hysterically.

**(A/N: Poor Tohru, but you've got to feel bad for Kyo as well And what of Kyoko, she had her memories of Tohru erased. How will things progress from here? Wait and see.)**


	8. Chapter 7: So Much Anger

**(A/N: Ok then, this chapter where be the scenes where Akito (Gaston) gets drunk and comes up with his plan to force Tohru to marry him. It's also the famous dinner scene where Tohru (Belle) refuses to come to dinner with a comedic twist from a certain monkey. Enjoy.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 7: So Much Anger**

Akito slammed the empty shot glass on the table.

"Give me another!" he demanded.

The bartender shrugged and poured him another shot of sake. Akito drained it in one gulp, slamming it down on the counter again and demanding another.

"Akito, don't overdo it." Kureno told him.

"Shut up!" Akito snapped. "I'm not in the mood. Give me another!" He swallowed another shot. "That ungrateful miserable bitch. How dare she reject me. She should feel honored. I offer her anything her bratty little heart could have, and she throws it back in my face. No one says no to Akito Sohma! I'll make her pay for this. She'll suffer for rejecting me. And I swear that one day she will be mine."

"Akito," Kureno grumbled, "I doubt that making her suffer will convince her to marry you. She'll only hate you more."

Akito gripped the glass so tightly that it shattered in his hand. "Then I'll make her despise me. I make her hate me so much that I'll consume her every thought. She won't be able to think of anything besides me and the disgust she feels for me. And that will be only the beginning."

Kureno glanced at Akito's hand. "Akito, you're bleeding."

He looked t his bleeding hand. "So I am." He licked a trail of blood running down his wrist. "I wonder what Tohru's blood would taste like. I'll have to find out."

Kureno gave no indication that he cared for Tohru's wellbeing. "What are you going to do?"

Before Akito could answer, the door to the bar burst open. "Hello, everyone!" All heads turned to the newcomer. Kyoko had arrived, looking extremely happy and energetic. "I'm gonna party tonight!"

Akito raised an eyebrow. _'She's back from her trip already? I wonder why. And what's she doing here? I don't remember seeing her in a bar once in my entire life.'_

Kyoko spotted him and beamed happily. "Akito, Kureno, how are you? It's been awhile!"

Grabbing a napkin, Akito wiped the blood and glass from his hand. "I suppose you're here to scold me about my treatment of your daughter."

Kyoko blinked. "Hmm? Daughter? What are you talking about, Akito? I don't have any kids? Ha, ha, ha! Hey, bartender, give me some sake!"

Akito looked at Kyoko curiously. "Mrs. Honda, are you feeling alright?"

"Never better!" she declared. "Bottoms up!" She drained the glass. "Why'd you ask?"

Akito leaned back in his chair. "Perhaps because you said you have no kids, when I know for a fact that Tohru has been your daughter for nearly 17 years."

Kyoko blinked, then burst out laughing. "Tohru, huh? That name's adorable! If I ever do have a daughter, I'll have to remember that name." She sighed sadly. "It's just a shame my beloved Katsuya died before we had any children. I would have loved to be a mother."

Akito and Kyoko shared a look, both wondering what was wrong with her.

"Mrs. Honda," said Kureno, "did you happen to hit your head when you went to visit your old gang?"

Kyoko just laughed. "Hit my head? Of course not. Hmm…" She tapped her chin. "But you know what, I do seem to have a gap in my memory. Oh well, what you gonna do about it?. But you know, now that you mention it, it has been a while since I saw my old gang. Maybe I'll go pay them a visit soon. Hey, bartender, another sake!"

Intrigued, Akito turned to Kureno. "A rather unexpected development. What do you think?"

"Amnesia perhaps." Kureno supplied. "That's why I asked if she had hit her head."

Akito leaned back, balancing on the hind legs of his chair, thinking. Soon a cruel smile crept up his face and Kureno tensed; he knew what that smile meant.

"I think I may have found a way to get Miss Honda after all." He chuckled. "You're going to love this, Kureno. Picture this, the Red Butterfly, former leader of the vicious biker gang, the Suicide Squad, decides to rejoin her old comrades. Being back on the bike rekindles that old passion for trouble she has, and her mind snaps." He looked at Kureno with laughter in his eyes. "In her mental state, she's unstable and dangerous. For the safety of the public, she'll have to be locked up. And poor little Tohru will be left all alone in the world. Then in comes the rich and powerful Akito Sohma to save her from living on the streets and takes her in." He chuckled. "Of course, if Miss Honda changes her mind about marrying me, it may not come to that."

A twitch of his lips was the only indication that Kureno disapproved of the plan. Other than that, he was expressionless and obedient. "Having amnesia is hardly a dangerous mental disorder."

"Come now, Kureno. Did you forget who I am? I have connections and influence. It won't be hard to make the situation worse than how it really is. In fact," he grinned coldly, "it will be all too easy." With a chuckle, he looked back at Kyoko, who was laughing as she enjoyed another sake. _'Soon, Tohru Honda, you will be mine.'_

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Tohru had eventually cried herself to sleep, but a knocking at the door eventually woke her up. Rubbing her eyes, she gave the door a worried look, afraid it was the beast.

"W-Who's there?"

"Momiji and Hatori!" came a happy and energetic voice from the other side."

Curious, Tohru opened the door and a little rabbit came in. Tohru stared down at it curiously. She looked outside, but there was no one else there. Had this rabbit just spoke?

"But that's not possible." She said to herself.

"What's not?" the rabbit asked happily.

Tohru blinked, trying to comprehend what she just witnessed, her eyes slowly widening as she realized what she saw. "T-T-T-Talking…"

There was a sigh, and Tohru noticed the seahorse on the rabbit's head. "Momiji, I told you that talking animals would be too much to handle right now."

Tohru's eyes became the size of saucers. "Seahorse… Out of water… Also talking…"

Momiji chuckled. "You have the same reaction as your mother did."

Lacking hands, Hatori hit Momiji over the head with his tail. "I told you not to mention her mother."

A worried look crossed Momiji's face. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I make you sad, Tohru? Here, I'll hug you and make it better!"

He jumped at her. Startled, Tohru stepped back, stepping on something that cried out.

"My tail! My tail!"

Tohru looked down to see that she was stepping on a snake. Apparently this animal was capable speaking as well. She jumped off him, afraid she had hurt him.

"Oh no! I'm sorry! Are you all right? I didn't see you there at all! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to step on your tail! You're not bleeding, are you? I didn't break any bones, did I? Please, tell me what I can do to make the pain go away! I'm so clumsy sometimes! I can't believe I stepped on you! I must have been heavy! I've always tried to be careful with my figure! Maybe I should lose some weight so if this happens again I won't be as heavy! Oh, wait, no! What am I thinking? I can't let that happen again! I'll just have to be more careful! I promise not to step on you or anyone else ever again!"

"Boy, she can really talk fast." Momiji muttered.

"Never mind that." Hatori muttered. He turned to the snake. "What are you doing here, Ayame?"

The snake grinned. "Is it not obvious?" he cried loudly. "As the one with the most fashion sense, Kyo sent me here to get Tohru dressed up properly!" At a speed too fast to see, Ayame suddenly climbed up Tohru's body, settling himself on her head. "Just look at her state of dress. These commoner clothes aren't good enough for one as lovely as her! Oh yes, I'm inspired to hand make an entire new wardrobe for her!"

'_How's he going to make new clothes without hands?'_ the other three wondered.

"Tohru, I will make you absolutely beautiful." Ayame continued. "Yes, Kyo won't be able to resist ravishing you. He may forget about dinner and just eat you up instead."

Tohru paled, not sure if the snake meant that literally or not. For all she knew, Kyo may very well have a taste for human flesh. Why else would he want to keep her prisoner? She was just a normal girl. What use would he have for an ordinary girl unless he was planning to eat her?

"No, no, no! He can't eat me! I'm sure I won't taste good!"

"Relax." Said Hatori nonchalantly. "Ritsu is the one who cooks around here. And he's quite good. Just… be careful what you say to him."

Tohru looked at Hatori curiously. "Just how many of you are there."

"One for each animal of the zodiac. You see, we're under a curse. So we've become the animal of the zodiac based upon when we were born."

"Oh, I get it." Not really. There was such a thing as curses? Even though it was an explanation, she still didn't fully understand. "And what about Kyo? He's not a member of the zodiac."

"Kyo is a… special case. He was born on February 29th. So he's a little different."

"Poor Kyo only technically gets a birthday every four years!" Momiji cried.

"Just as shame the curse doesn't go by that." Ayame muttered.

Tohru gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

The warning look that Hatori gave him prevented the snake from saying anything else. "Oh, nothing, nothing! Now then, for the time being, you'll just have to wear what we have until I can make your new clothes. Now lets see, what shall we dress you in for dinner."

Tohru paled again, remembering what Ayame said about Kyo eating her. "No way! I'm not going to dinner!"

"You're not?" They all turned to see Shigure at the door. "Great, and I have to be the one to tell that to Kyo."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Kyo paced back and forth impatiently. He glanced nervously at the monkey standing a few feet away. The pitiful primate looked like he was about to break down. Kyo didn't want to deal with that.

"What the hell is taking her so damn long?" he roared.

Yuki sighed. "Please, Kyo, be patient. Girls take longer to get ready than guys do." Kyo just growled and went back to his pacing. "And you should try to be a little nicer to her. She became your prisoner and lost her mother all in one day. She's bound to be upset."

"I know the pain of losing a mother!" Kyo shouted. "At least she has one. You all do. They may not be around, but at least they're still alive."

Yuki decided to change the topic. "Onto more important things, have you considered that perhaps Miss Honda could be the one to free us from our curse?"

"Stupid rat! Of course I have! Why do you think I traded her for her mother?"

"Well then, show some compassion. You're almost 17. Once 18 hits, we're all doomed. You especially."

"Don't you think I know that?" He angrily punched the floor. He took a few moments to control himself before sighing almost sadly. "We're just kidding ourselves. She's so sweet and innocent. How could she, or anyone for that matter, fall for a monster like me?"

Yuki crossed his arms. "Just as the way to break the curse decrees, she has to see beyond the beast to the man that you are. But you have to stop acting like a monster or else she'll only see you like one. That temper of yours is the biggest problem. Learn to control yourself."

A soft muttering came from the monkey in the corner. Kyo and Yuki gave him a nervous look before he went wild. "OH, THIS IS ALL MY FAULT! IT'S MY COOKING! IT'S HORRIBLE, ISN'T IT? THAT'S WHY MISS TOHRU'S NOT COMING! SHE CAN SMELL MY TERRIBLE FOOD ALL THE WAY FROM HER ROOM! OH, I'M SORRY! BECAUSE OF ME SHE WON'T COME! AND SINCE SHE WON'T COME, SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO GET TO KNOW KYO, AND THEY WON'T FALL IN LOVE! THEN WE'LL BE STUCK AS ANIMALS FOREVER!"

"Ritsu, I'm sure that's not the case." Yuki muttered.

"OH, YUKI, HOW COULD YOU LIE RIGHT TO MY FACE? AM I REALLY SO PITIFUL THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE THINGS UP SO I'LL FEEL BETTER? THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT! I'M JUST A PITIFUL PERSON! I'M SO PITIFUL THAT I'M THE REAL REASON THE REST OF THE SOHMAS LEFT! I ALONE SHOULD BARE THE BURDEN OF THE ZODIAC CURSE! THE WORLD WOULD JUST BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!"

Kyo growled, already feeling a headache coming on. He was about to hit the monkey when the door opened. All three turned, expecting to see Tohru, but only saw Shigure.

"Good evening, everyone!" he announced with a little too much enthusiasm.

Kyo growled irritably. "I sent you there to get her. So where the hell is she?"

Still smiling, Shigure stepped away from the door, getting as far away from Kyo as he could, covering his ears with his paws. "She won't be coming."

There was five seconds of silence before…

"WHAT!"

Kyo rushed out of the house, leaving behind Ritsu, who was wailing that it really was his fault. Yuki and Shigure hurried after him, but were nowhere near as fast.

Kyo reached the house Tohru was staying in and hammered his fist against the door. "I thought I told you to come to dinner!"

There was a squeak of fear from the other side. "I-I'm not hungry."

Kyo growled loudly. "Don't make we come in there and drag you out!"

"Kyo!" Yuki cried as he and Shigure caught up to him. "This is not the way to win her heart."

Kyo glared at him. "What's wrong with quality time?"

"_That's_ what you're calling this?" Shigure asked. "I don't know if you're away of this, but quality time is supposed to be enjoyable."

"Try being a little nicer." Yuki suggested.

With another growl, Kyo turned back to the door. "Will you come for dinner?"

"Please leave me alone."

Kyo looked ready to explode.

"Try saying please and thank you." Yuki suggested.

"And don't sound angry when you're saying it." Shigure added.

Kyo took a deep breath, calming himself. "Miss Honda, I would be very grateful if you will do me the honor of having dinner with me and my cousins. Please come out.

"I can't!" Tohru cried sounding close to tears.

Kyo snapped. "Why the hell not!"

Tohru whimpered a few times. "Because… I'm scared of you Kyo. I really am. I'm afraid."

A look of pain crossed Kyo's face, but it quickly turned to anger. "You too. That's all you see; me as a monster." His eyes flashed violently. "Fine then, if you see me as a monster, then I'll be a monster! You can just stay in there and rot for all I care!"

He turned and ran off, leaving behind Yuki and Shigure.

"That didn't go well." The former muttered.

"I think it was an improvement." Shigure said smiling and wagging his tail. "He did say please, and talk politely. See, there is still compassion within him."

Yuki sighed. "Yes, but not much. The curse is taking its toll on him. I'm afraid it may be too late for him. For all of us."

**(A/N: I know it's mean, but I love watching Ritsu freak out. Poor guy. And poor Tohru and Kyo too. But you all know how the story goes. After all, it's a tale as old as time. See more next time.)**


	9. Chapter 8: Meeting the Sohmas

**(A/N: I wasn't sure how exactly to do this chapter. It's the whole **_**Be Our Guest**_** scene. Well, let me know how I did.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 8: Meeting the Sohmas**

It was a few hours later that hunger got the better of Tohru and she dared to wander out of her new home. She realized that she had no idea where to go. But as she walked through the Sohma estate, she soon heard loud cries coming from one of the houses. Whoever it was, they sounded rather upset.

The person who was upset was Ritsu. After Tohru had refused to come to dinner, he had been in a state, convinced that it was all his fault.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I BLEW IT FOR EVERYONE!!! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!!! NOW BECAUSE OF ME, MISS HONDA AND KYO HATE EACH OTHER!!! THE CURSE WILL NEVER BE BROKEN!!! IT'S MY FAULT!!! I LET EVERYONE DOWN!!!"

"It was not your fault." Yuki replied calmly, trying to be patient. "Miss Honda simply did not wish to eat."

"IT'S BECAUSE MY COOKING WAS TERRIBLE!!!"

"No, it was because she was too upset to eat. And after everything that's happened to her, she has a right to be."

Ritsu wiped his eyes, sniffing. "Do you… really think so? My cooking wasn't bad?"

Shigure grinned mischievously. "Well, I do feel a little queasy after eating."

"NOOOOOO!!!" Ritsu wailed. "I KNEW IT, MY COOKING REALLY IS HORRIBLE!!! I'M A DISGRACE!!! IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I WAS NEVER BORN!!! I SHOULD JUST DO THE WORLD A FAVOR AND DIE RIGHT NOW!!!"

Yuki sighed, glaring at Shigure. "Why must you do that?"

The dog chuckled. "It's fun seeing him freak out like that."

As Ritsu ran around screaming, Tohru opened the door and Ritsu crashed into it. Tohru looked down at the unconscious monkey.

"Oh no!" Tohru cried. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you! Are you alright?"

Ritsu suddenly regained conscious. "NO, NO, IT WAS MY FAULT!!! I'M THE ONE TO BLAME!!! I WAS THE ONE WHO GOT IN YOUR WAY!!! AND NOW YOU'VE WORRIED YOURSELF FOR MY SAKE!!! YOU SHOULDN'T WORRY YOURSELF OVER A NOBODY LIKE ME!!! I CAN'T EVEN PREPARE A PROPER MEAL FOR YOU!!! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!!!"

Tohru was taken aback by Ritsu's behavior. "Um… uh… what? Who said I didn't like your cooking? I don't even remember trying your cooking."

Ritsu looked at her tearfully. "Isn't the reason why you didn't come to dinner because of my horrible cooking?"

This time it was Tohru's turn to panic. "What? Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no! You've got it all wrong! I just wasn't in the mood to eat at the time!" She pulled herself together. "Actually, the reason I'm here right now was because I was hungry. And I'd be honored if you would cook for me."

"Really?" Ritsu asked. "I promise to make the greatest meal you've ever eaten. And if it's not, then I shall make it up to you by sacrificing myself to you."

Tohru sweat-dropped. "Um, you don't need to do that."

Yuki cleared his throat. "Welcome, Miss Honda. Since you're here, I think I should introduce you to everyone. Shigure, would you please fetch the others."

The dog cut his eyes at him. "Fetch? If that was a pun, it was really bad. But I'll go get them." He cleared his throat. "HEY, EVERYONE, GET OUT HERE!!! COME MEET MISS HONDA!!!"

Yuki sighed and rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant."

Soon several animals filled the room. Tohru recognized Momiji, Hatori, and Ayame, but the others she didn't know.

"I shall now give the introductions." Said Yuki. "The ones you haven't met are me, I am Yuki, and Shigure, the dog. The unstable monkey with very low self-esteem and a tendency to overreact is Ritsu. The tiger is Kisa, the sheep is Hiro."

"They have a _thing_ for each other." Shigure muttered.

Kisa blushed, as did Hiro. "H-Hey!" the latter cried. "Y-You shut up!"

Tohru beamed. "Oh, they're so cute!"

"Yes, cute." Yuki muttered. "Anyway, the boar is Kagura."

"She's very unstable." Shigure added.

"What was that?" Kagura shouted, jumping up and kicking Shigure in the head, much to Tohru's surprise.

"See what I mean." Replied the dazed dog.

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Please ignore that. Kagura is actually very nice… at times. Anyway, the horse is Isuzu, but we call her Rin, and the cow is Hatsuharu, we call him Haru."

"There's also an item." Said Shigure.

The cow gave him a cold look. "You should really learn to mind your own business."

Shigure sweat-dropped. "Uh oh, he's Black Haru right now."

Tohru cocked her head to the side. "Um, Black Haru?"

Yuki sighed. "Haru has… a unique personality. One moment he's an all around nice guy, the next he's-"

"I'm what, exactly?" Haru asked, glaring at the rat.

Rin rested her head against him. "Haru, don't be mean."

Haru's eyes immediately charged from cold and angry to calm and happy. "Mean? Me? Never."

Tohru chuckled. "It's nice to meet all of you." She looked at all the animals curiously. "Wait, you said you're supposed to be the animals of the zodiac, but where's the dragon and rooster."

Hatori cleared his throat. "I am the dragon. As for the rooster… well, he's not here. He left a long time ago."

"The rest of us can't leave." Said Kagura. "We have nowhere else to go."

"Not to mention we'll probably be assaulted by other animals the moment we step outside the estate." Hiro added.

Tohru blinked. "What do you mean?"

"We attract the type of animals we are." Said Yuki. "If I leave this place, I'm immediately surrounded by rats. Just like its dogs for Shigure, snakes for Ayame, cats for Kyo. You get the picture."

"Oh, I get it! Wait, Kyo attracts cats?"

"Never mind."

Tohru chuckled. Suddenly things didn't seem so grim. Maybe, just maybe, she could have a life here.

**(A/N: This chapter is a little short, sorry about that. But based on how I plan to continue the story from here, this was the best place to stop. I'll see you next time.)**


	10. Chapter 9: Escape and Rescue

**(A/N: ****We last left off after what would have been the **_**Be Our Guest**_** scene. Which means it's time for Tohru to get in big trouble with Kyo****.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 9: Escape and Rescue**

The days rolled by and Tohru settled into her new life. She'd gotten to know each of the Sohmas rather well, particularly Yuki and Shigure, though it was Kisa who she became the most fond of and vice versa, much to the irritation of Hiro, who didn't want to share his girlfriend. She hadn't seen Kyo since that night except for a few times in passing, and he made no attempt to meet her again.

Tohru glanced at the calendar. She had been here for two weeks now. It wasn't so bad. She was really more of a resident than a prisoner. If only she could be with her mother, then she wouldn't mind sticking around.

'_Oh, Mom, I hope you're doing ok.'_

Putting an X over the day, she noticed that it was March 1st. Yesterday had been February 28th, Kyo's birthday, sort of. Or would they celebrate it today? Come to think of it, there hadn't been any celebration or any sign of one. Did the Sohmas not celebrate Kyo's birthday unless it actually was the 29th?

"I know he's holding me prisoner, but even he deserves to have a birthday party. At least a gift." A determine look crossed her face. "All right, I'll go pay him a visit and ask him what he wants! I won't be scared or anything!"

Feeling less brave than she was letting on, she made her way to the house she saw Kyo disappear into from time to time. She knocked on the door, but received no reply. She would have rung the doorbell, but it was broken, looking like someone had punched it.

"W-Well, he said I can go anywhere except for the main house."

Working up her courage, she opened the door, not evening considering that _this_ might be the main house.

What a mess! Unlike the rest of the estate, which was dirty from carelessness, although she had cleaned up most of it, Kyo's house looked like it had been deliberately trashed.

"K-Kyo? Are you in here?"

She received no reply so she went inside. The further in she went, the more destroyed the house was. She eventually entered one room that seemed to be the bedroom. The remains of a bed were lying in the room, a large portrait hanging over it. The portrait had been shredded, but Tohru could make out the remains an orange haired boy and an older man. Both of their faces had been torn apart. The only part of the portrait that wasn't ruined was the part with a woman, who Tohru assumed was the mother of the boy in the portrait.

The only other thing in the room that wasn't destroyed was what appeared to be a small shrine. Upon this shrine was a pillow, which a black and white Juzu bead bracelet rested on.

Curious, Tohru picked it up and looked at it. It seemed like an ordinary bracelet. Why was it on a shrine? Maybe it had sentimental value or something.

Suddenly a horrible smell hit her nose. It smelled like something dead and rotting. There was only one thing that smelled like that.

Tohru turned around and saw Kyo standing behind her, his eyes filled with fury. His gaze shifted to the beads she was holding and his eyes widened. He made a swipe for it, grabbing it from her hands. But in her fear, Tohru's grip on the beads had tightened. The string snapped and the beads fell to the floor.

With a cry, Kyo grabbed at them as if they were precious treasures. He looked up at Tohru, looking more than ready to tear her apart.

"These were a gift from my mother." He said. His voice was almost a whisper, but it was filled with cold fury. "She gave them to me just before she died."

Guilt slammed into Tohru. She had no idea those beads were so important to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I was just looking."

"Just looking?" Kyo growled. "What are you doing here anyway? Did I not tell you to stay out of the main house?"

Tohru gulped. "I didn't know this was the main house."

Kyo's eyes flashed angrily. "Didn't know? You didn't know that the biggest house here wouldn't be the main house? You didn't think that the house I, the head of the Sohma estate, lived in was the main house? Are you a damned idiot?"

Of course, she should have realized that he would live in the main house. Not only had she broken the one rule he had set for her, but she had also broken the last thing he had ever received from his mother.

"I'm sorry." she said. She reached for the beads. "I didn't mean any harm. Maybe I can fix it."

Kyo moved the beads away from her. "No, get out of here now! Go on, you heard me! Leave! GET THE HELL OUT!"

He punched a hole in the wall, right next to Tohru's head. That's when she fled, her heart pounding with fear. She heard furniture being smashed behind her, but she didn't look back.

"GET OUT! AND DON'T YOU COME BACK _EVER!_"

Tohru ran out of the main house, running though the Sohma estate. She went for the gate, running right by Yuki and Shigure.

"Miss Honda, what's wrong?" Yuki asked. "Where are you going?"

Tohru glanced back fearfully. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I can't stay here anymore!"

Ignoring their pleas for her to stop, she squeezed through the gate and ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she didn't care just as long as it was away from the Sohma estate, away from Kyo, away from the beast.

She didn't know how far or how long she ran, but she went on until she couldn't run anymore. Grabbing onto a tree to support herself, she stopped to catch her breath.

"I'm… I'm lost…" she realized. "Where do I go? Oh, Mom. Mom, please help me."

She fell to her knees and began to cry. But as she wept, a light shined in her eyes. Wiping her tears, she looked down the road to see several headlights coming towards her. Thinking she had been saved, she ran towards the lights, waving her arms and screaming.

"Wait! Stop! Please, help me!"

Several bikers rode passed her, then doubled back and came to a stop in front of her. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know who she had just run into.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Motoko asked curiously.

Tohru gave her supposed savior a grateful look. "I'm lost. Do you think you could give me a ride into town?"

Motoko smirked. "Maybe. How much are you willing to pay?"

Tohru blinked. "Um, I don't have any money. But once I get home I can pay you."

Motoko considered it for a moment. "I suppose that'll work."

One of the bikers went up to Motoko. "Hey, boss, doesn't she look sort of familiar?"

Motoko studied Tohru. "Now that you mention it, yes. Hey, girl, have we met before?"

Tohru shook her head. "I don't think so."

Motoko continued looking at her suspiciously. "What's your name?"

"My name? Oh, it's Tohru. Tohru Honda."

Motoko's eyes widened. "Honda? So, that's why you look familiar. You resemble your mother."

Tohru was surprised. "You know my mother?"

"Very well." Motoko chuckled. She turned to her gang. "We lost our chance getting the Red Butterfly, so it looks like we'll have to settle for the Red Caterpillar."

The bikers got off their bikes, pulling out weapons, from chains to knives, from metal bats to crowbars. Tohru backed up fearfully until she was against a tree.

"Wh-What are you doing?" she asked.

"Settling the score with an old rival." Motoko told her.

Tohru began trembling. "Please, I didn't do anything."

Motoko chuckled. "Don't you know? Children pay for the sins of their parents."

She raised the crowbar she was holding, ready to hit the scared girl in front of her. Just as she brought it down, something large dropped down in front of her, shielding Tohru.

Kyo roared loudly, causing the bikers to retreat fearfully. Tohru looked up in disbelief. Kyo was here? And he was protecting her?

"What… What in the hell is that?" Motoko cried.

"It's hideous!" cried another biker.

"It smells awful!"

"What do we do?"

Motoko growled. "Just kill the thing!"

They ran to their bikes, climbing on. They drove towards Kyo, waving their weapons. With a roar, Kyo attacked. He was struck repeatedly as they bikers attacked right back. Any injury he obtained, he ignored, as he made sure to keep them away from Tohru. He went for their bikes, knocking them off and then destroying them. Each biker fled once their bike was destroyed, not daring to face the beast without a way to move about safely.

The sound of a gun went off. Kyo roared as the bullet hit his shoulder. With a growl, he pounced at the biker who shot him, knocking them off their bike before picking it up and throwing it at two more biker coming at him.

"The hell with this!" Motoko cried. "Lets get the hell out of here!"

Her gang didn't need to be told twice. Abandoning their destroyed bikes, they ran on foot from Kyo, disappearing into the woods.

Kyo remained where he was, breathing heavily. Blood seeped from his wounds, most coming from his shoulder. Slowly he turned to Tohru, staring at her. She stared back at him, her eyes fixed on his. To her astonishment, she saw a single tear run down his cheek.

Then he collapsed. Tohru stared at his still form. This was her chance to escape. One or two of the bikes could still be rode. She could get away. Just leave and never look back. Go back home. Go back to her mother.

But what about Kyo? With those injuries, he would die if he was left out here. She had to make a choice. Help Kyo, or gain her freedom.

**(A/N: I thought the beads made a good substitute for the rose. Of course they simply had sentimental value though. Poor Kyo, he's down and out. At least he saved Tohru, and Motoko's gang got what they deserved.)**


	11. Chapter 10: Love Blooms

**(A/N: I was having a bit of a writer's block on how to go about writing this chapter. It took some time, but I managed to get it done. Enjoy.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 10: Love Blooms**

Kyo growled as Tohru attended to his injures. He wasn't a good patient, but Tohru wasn't a good doctor. Hatori was the one who had to talk her through what to do. He would have done it himself, but being a seahorse, he lacked arms.

But Tohru was good at following his instructions. Removing the bullet had been the hardest part. Kyo had been lucky, the bullet hadn't hit anything vital.

"THAT HURTS!" Kyo wailed.

"Kyo, please, you have to hold still." She told him.

Kyo just growled again. "This is your fault, you know! If you hadn't run away, then this wouldn't have happened!"

"I'm sorry." Tohru replied. "I was scared. It was an honest mistake and an accident. I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy. I didn't mean to break your beads. I promise to fix them."

Kyo snorted. "Don't you pity me. I don't like being pitied."

Tohru gave him a sad look. "It's ok, Kyo. You don't have to act so strongly around me. I know you're hurting."

"I was shot, cut, and beaten! Of course I'm hurting!"

Tohru shook her head. "No, I mean on the inside."

Kyo's eyes flashed violently. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you cry." She explained. "Just that one tear showed me a lot. You don't have to try so hard, Kyo. I know that you're suffering. This curse can't be easy to live with. And it must be hardest on you."

"I can handle it. I've handled it all my life. Ever since my mother died."

"Tell me about her."

Kyo was surprised by her request. He stared at her for a moment before he started talking. "She was always very kind and loving. She was very protective of me. Even after I was cursed." There was pain in his eyes. "But she was also afraid of me. I could tell. I knew she loved me, but she couldn't stand the sight of me. And after she died, my father blamed me for her death. He said that she was ashamed to have a son like me, but she still loved me more than anything. And loving a beast was what killed her. That's what he said. He said that I'm responsible for her death. He said that she didn't want me. He said that she died just to get away from me. He said… he said…"

Tohru rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kyo."

He glared at her. "Did I not say that I don't want to be pitied?"

She continued looking at him sadly. "It must have been hard to deal with that. You didn't deserve it. And I know that it's not true. I know that your mother didn't want to leave you. No one wants to leave the ones they love. Your mother loved you for you, despite what the curse had turned you into. You may be a monster on the outside, but you were still Kyo on the inside. You were and always will be her son. And she knew that. And she loved you just the same, even though she was afraid."

Kyo's eyes were wide with amazement as he looked at Tohru. He immediately shook it off and looked away. "It doesn't matter now. She's dead, and my father left with the rest of our family. Heh, like I care!"

"It's ok to be sad."

"What?"

She nodded. "It's ok to be sad, and to cry. That's why we have emotions. It's not good to keep everything bottled up inside. You're suffering, Kyo. It's ok to feel pain. Everyone needs someone to depend on. After you lost your mother, you had no one. But now you have me. I can be there for you Kyo. You can cry around me if you want. I'll even cry with you. We can cry together, laugh together, make memories together. We can depend on each other. I'll be there to help you, Kyo. Just as you were there to help me today. Thank you."

Kyo was utterly speechless. No one, not even his mother had spoken to him like this. This girl was somehow able to read his deepest emotions and tell him exactly what he needed to hear. She could see his pain, and she wanted to help him through it.

"No, Tohru." He said quietly. "Thank you."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Hope had been restored to the Sohmas as Tohru and Kyo got closer. The estate seemed brighter, more cheerful. It was definitely cleaner. And although she was still a rice ball in a fruits basket, Tohru had begun to feel at home.

She and Kyo grew closer together. Kyo's hostility decreased greatly, and he had a much better control on his temper. He found himself having fun a lot, and he found himself getting along with his cousins, even Yuki, whom he had always despised.

Tohru really enjoyed Kyo's company. True, his smell was a problem, but she put up with it. She no longer cringed in his presence, nor showed any signs of fear. And during the times when he did lose his temper, she was able to calm him down rather easily.

She found out that Kyo was very into martial arts, and he found out that Tohru was fond of gardening, which gave him an idea. Enlisting Yuki's help, he prepared a surprise for Tohru, which he couldn't wait to show her.

"What's this about?" she asked, as he led her blindfolded through the Sohma estate.

"It's a surprise." He told her, chuckling.

Tohru smiled. "Am I going to find out why I haven't been allowed over to the west side for the past three months?"

"Perhaps. Just wait a bit longer."

The other Sohmas watched as Kyo led her over to Tohru's surprise. They couldn't believe how things had progressed. Kyo was no longer an angry and violent monster, but a rather kind and happy teddy bear, though a rather ugly and smelly one. It seemed as if Tohru was indeed reaching the humanity in him that they thought he had lost.

"Ok, you can take off the blindfold now." he told her.

Feeling giddy, Tohru removed the blindfold. Before her was a large garden, flowers and vegetables growing in it healthily.

"Oh, Kyo, it's lovely! Ooh, strawberries, I love strawberries!"

Kyo grinned. "I know that's why I had them planted."

"Oh Kyo, that's so sweet." Then she noticed a particular vegetable. "Wait, are those leeks?"

Kyo made a face. "Yeah."

"But I thought you hated leeks."

A blush stained Kyo's cheeks. "I do… but I know that you like them, so…"

She hugged him. "Kyo, your so sweet. And the garden is beautiful."

He gave her a smile. "Well, I know how much you like to garden. So I'm giving it to you."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "You're what? You're giving it to…"

"Officially." Kyo clarified. "You are now the owner of this piece of property of the Sohma estate."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Momiji cried, his eyes shining happily.

"Shh, keep it down." Hatori scolded him. "We don't want to ruin the moment."

"I'm happy for sissy and Kyo." Said Kisa. "They're so sweet together."

"Sweet isn't going to cut it though." Said Rin. "We need them to be _in love_. It's been over a year since she came here. We're running out of time."

The Sohmas glanced at each other. Yes, they were running out of time. They needed to get Tohru and Kyo to admit their love for each other.

"Alright," said Shigure, "it's time to take things up a notch."

"Any ideas?" asked Haru.

Shigure grinned. "You bet. We'll set up a night just for the two of them. We'll create a romantic atmosphere so strong that they won't be able to hold back their feelings. We'll have music, candle light, decorations, good food, everything we need to make them confess."

"I suppose we've got nothing to lose." Said Yuki. "Lets get started."

"But Kyo doesn't like surprises." Said Kagura.

Yuki smirked. "He may be angry at first, but he'll like this one."

**(A/N: Ok, so we're up to the part where the Belle helped the beast and the beast gave her the library, just in the **_**Fruits Basket**_** universe. I tried to write one of Tohru's heartfelt speeches, but lets face it, I'm nowhere in her league, but I tried. Hope you liked it.)**


	12. Chapter 11: Tale As Old As Time

**(A/N: I know this took a while. It's because I had midterms and they took up all my time. So please forgive me for the delay. This chapter is both sweet and sad at the same time. Hope you like it.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 11: Tale As Old As Time**

Kyoko was having the time of her life. It had been over a year since she had taken up her position as the leader of the Suicide Squad. And this time Motoko's gang wasn't around to cause trouble. Several months ago, they had finally been arrested after arriving in town, screaming some nonsense about a monster. The police didn't know what to make of their insane story, but they were glad to finally have Motoko and her ruthless biker gang behind bars.

Although life was good, Kyoko couldn't help but feel like something was missing, as if she had forgotten something important. Her thoughts turned to what Arisa had said about her having a daughter. It was strange, Akito had said the same thing, but she had no daughter. She didn't remember anything Arisa and her gang said about this girl named Tohru. She remembered her husband, but the two of them had never had any children.

As she continued to deny having a daughter, her friends had eventually stopped mentioning her. Now they were on the road again, just like old times. But something was still missing. What was it? What _was_ it?

"Kyoko, look out!" Arisa screamed.

Kyoko blinked. While her mind had been wandering, she hadn't been focused on where she was going. Her bike was heading right for an oncoming car.

Eyes wide, Kyoko turned her bike, just missing being hit. As the driver shouted angrily for her to watch where she was going, she lost control of her bike and crashed. She ended up being thrown from her bike, hitting her head.

And that's when it came back to her. Tohru. Her cute, darling, daughter Tohru. She _was_ real. She _did_ have a daughter. But how and why had she forgotten her? How could she have forgotten her?

The beast. That's right. She had been captured by that hideous beast. Tohru had traded herself for her freedom. And the beast had made that seahorse erase her memories.

That was over a year ago! Her daughter had been with that horrible monster all this time.

Tears flowed down Kyoko's cheeks. "Tohru, oh my baby. How could I have forgotten?"

Ignoring her painful injuries, she climbed to her feet and limped over to her bike. She had to go, now! Right now, back to the Sohma estate. She would not let her daughter spend another day there.

"Kyoko!" Arisa cried, riding up to her. "Are you ok? That was a nasty crash."

"I'm fine." Kyoko muttered, wincing in pain.

"The hell you are! We're taking you to a hospital right now."

Kyoko shook her head. "No time. I have to save Tohru."

Arisa's eyes widened. "You remember her?"

Kyoko nodded. "I can't believe I forgot. She's in trouble, I have to save her."

Arisa nodded. "Then we're going to help. Right, everyone?"

"Yeah!" cried the other members of the Suicide Squad.

Kyoko felt great appreciation for her friends, but she was not going to involve them in this. She didn't want to endanger them. This would be between her and the beast.

"No, you guys stay away. This is something I have to do alone. I'm not involving anyone else."

"Nonsense!" Arisa cried. "We're family, and we help, our family."

Kyoko shook her head. "Not this time. This time it's all me."

But Arisa wasn't backing down. "We're coming, whether you like it or not."

Kyoko gave Arisa her famous Suicide Stare. It was a look of challenge that no one ever dared to go against. It was the reason why she was leader. If she was dead serious about something and would not be swayed, her Suicide Stare let others know it. And that is what she was doing.

"Stay away." she said quietly. "I'm doing this on my own." She climbed onto her bike. "But there is something you can do for me… Take care of Tohru."

Without giving an explanation, she rode off. She knew she had hurt her friends, but she had to. She would not let them fall prey to the beast. She would go there and trade herself for her daughter, and not take no for an answer. Even if it meant her death.

'_Hold on, Tohru, Mommy's coming.'_

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Over the next few days, the Sohmas made the preparations. It was kept a secret from Tohru and Kyo the entire time. They were cutting it close. Kyo's 18th birthday was coming up soon. Once the clock reached midnight, it would be too late. Kyo would completely lose his humanity and the curse would remain with them for all time. If this plan didn't work, then they most likely wouldn't be able to break the curse.

They 'kidnapped' Kyo and Tohru while they were on their way to dinner, and quickly got them ready for the surprise. When Kyo found out what they were up to, he was indeed angry at first, but soon worry replaced his anger.

"I'm not sure I can do this." he grumbled.

"You're running out of time." Yuki told him. "Unless you want to lose your mind, and her, forever, you've got to do it."

Haru poured another galleon of cologne on Kyo. It didn't hide his horrid scent, but it did mix with it, somewhat helping. "If you love her, you have to tell her. For both of your sakes."

Kyo cut his eyes at him. "And just how long was it before you and Rin finally worked things out?"

Haru sweat-dropped. "We had all the time in the world. You only have a few days left. It's time to make your move. You have to confess your love."

The door opened and Shigure stuck his head in. "Miss Honda is ready and waiting. Just wait until you see what Ayame has done."

Yuki sighed, "Knowing my brother, I'm almost afraid to see it."

But there was nothing to worry about. Ayame had done his job nicely. Tohru looked absolutely stunning in her new dress. Kyo blushed when he saw her, feeling butterflies in his stomach. She was so beautiful. And he loved her so much. Oh, how he loved her. She was an angel, a goddess. And him, he was a monster, a freak. How could this possible work out? She was beauty and he was a beast. A tale as old as time.

But when she approached him and he looked into her eyes, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that they were here, and they were together. Nothing else mattered. Kyo felt that he could die happily at that moment with no regrets.

The night went on without a hitch. Everything was perfect. Absolutely perfect. The Sohmas were doing a silent celebration, confident that their plan had worked. And when Tohru and Kyo disappeared to be alone together, they shouted their victory to the sky.

All alone now, Kyo and Tohru sat down together, enjoying each other's company. If there was ever a time to confess, it would be now. But Kyo was scared, more scared than he had ever been in his entire life. Not because this was the moment that would decide if he would remain a beast or not, but because he would find out Tohru's feelings towards him. He could live with being a monster, but he couldn't live without her, of that he was certain.

"Tohru…" he said gently, "are you happy here with me?"

She gave him a smile that melted his heart. "Of course I am."

Kyo's hearts soared. But then he noticed a brief sadness and longing appear in her beautiful blue eyes. No, that simply wouldn't do. She deserved to be happy all the time; to have everything her precious heart desired.

"What's wrong, Tohru?"

"Huh?" She immediately began her rapid talking. "Oh, no, no, no! Everything's fine! I'm really happy right now! I couldn't ask for anything else! I'm-"

"Tohru." He growled lightly. As cute as it was when she got nervous and talked fast, he wanted her to have everything. "Something's bothering you. Please tell me."

Tohru sighed, her eyes downcast. "I'm just worried about Mom. I miss her so much. I just wish I knew that she was ok. I'll be satisfied as long as I know she's alright."

Kyo frowned. Of course it was her mother. How could he have been so stupid? He knew from personal experience that nothing could ever replace a mother's love. But Kyoko had forgotten she even had a daughter. What could he do to make this better?

Then he was struck with an idea. "Wait here." He hurried away, calling for his cousin. "Hey, Yuki!"

The rat came running in. "Yes, what's wrong?"

"I want you to do something for me."

He whispered his request to the rat. Yuki nodded and hurried off. Smiling, Kyo returned to Tohru. She gave him a curious look when he arrived.

"What was that?"

He shook his head. "You'll see."

They spent some more time dancing and talking. Kyo didn't confess his feelings, knowing the moment had passed. But he still intended to. He just had to wait for the right time.

It was about an hour later that Yuki returned, his eyes sad. "I'm back."

Kyo looked down at him. "Well, what did they say?"

Tohru blinked. "What did who say?"

"I asked Yuki to contact the other rats in the woods." Kyo explained. "He can get information from them from your town and even the next one over. I asked him to ask about your mother."

Tohru's eyes widened. She picked Yuki up, giving him a pleading look. "How's she doing? Is she ok?"

Yuki cast Kyo a worried look. The beast nodded and Yuki sighed. "She's somehow remembered everything just recently."

"What?" Tohru and Kyo gasped.

Yuki nodded. "There was an accident. She crashed her bike and hit her head. She remembers everything, and she's looking for you."

"For me?" Tohru asked. "But you said she was in an accident. Is she all right? Please, Yuki, tell me the truth. Whatever it is, I can take it."

Yuki winced, but told her what his rat friends had told him. "She shouldn't be traveling in her condition. She needs to rest and recover, but she won't stop."

Tears appeared in Tohru's eyes. She set Yuki down and watched as he left the room. She looked back at Kyo, crying silently.

"Mom, what do I do? She might be dying. And she won't go back. What if she hurts herself more? What if she dies? Oh, Mom, no! Mom, please go back!"

Kyo felt his heart break as he watched Tohru cry. This was his fault. He was responsible for her pain. No, he couldn't stand to see her suffer. He had to right his wrong. He knew the consequences of it, but he didn't care. If it was for Tohru, he didn't care. Slowly he approached Tohru resting his large hands on her shoulders.

"Go to her." he said quietly.

Tohru was so surprised that she stopped crying. "What?"

"Go to her." Kyo repeated. "You're free now. You may go and do as you wish. Go, save your mother."

More tears began running down Tohru's cheeks, but this time for a different reason. "You mean, I'm… I'm free?"

It was painful. He couldn't bear to look at her or else he might lose his resolve. "Yes. Now go help your mother. Hurry!"

He felt her rest a hand on his cheek. "Thank you, Kyo. Thank you so much."

She turned to leave, but Kyo suddenly grabbed her arm. "Wait." He took something off his wrist and handed it to her. "Take this with you to remember me by."

Tohru gasped. It was the bracelet that Kyo's mother had given her, long since fixed. "K-Kyo, I can't take this! Your mother gave it to you!"

"And now I'm giving it to you." He placed it in her hand. "I want you to have it. Please, Tohru, take it."

More tears flowed down her cheeks. "Thank you, Kyo. I will treasure it always."

She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she was gone. Kyo turned away from the door, trying desperately to stop himself from going after her. It wasn't easy. This was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

"Kyo?" It was Yuki. He had seen Tohru rush by him and became worried. "Is everything ok? What happened?"

With a sob, Kyo fell to his knees. "She's gone. I let her go."

Yuki gasped. "You… but you… what? Why? How could you do that?"

Tears leaked from Kyo's eyes, but he didn't care, nor did he bother to hide them. "Because I love her. I love her more than anything."

Yuki was silent for a moment. "What about the curse?"

Kyo shook his head. "It's over now. It's all over. There's no hope."

**(A/N: Tohru has gone to help her mother while Kyo has accepted his fate. And just so you know, Tohru doesn't know about the deadline of the curse. That information was kept from her. What's going to happen next? Wait and see.)**


	13. Chapter 12: The 13th Zodiac

**(A/N: Tohru has been freed to go save her mother. Kyo is soon going to become a beast permanently. And if you know Beauty and the Beast, you'll know that this are going to get much worse.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 12: The 13th Zodiac**

Kyoko moaned as she struggled to regain consciousness. She was aware of someone lightly dabbing a wet cloth against her face. And it felt like she was in a bed. That was strange. The last thing she remembered was riding through the woods the Sohma estate was hidden in. She remembered feeling light headed. Then everything got dark and…

Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she remembered. "Tohru!"

"Shh, Mom, it's ok. I'm here."

Kyoko blinked as her daughter came into focus. Yes, it was Tohru all right. There was no mistaking her cute little daughter. She was really here!

"Tohru!" she cried, throwing her arms around her daughter. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Tohru felt tears creep up in her eyes again. "Oh, Mom, I missed you so much."

Kyoko suddenly broke the hug. "But how did you escape?"

Tohru shook her head. "I didn't escape, Mom. He let me go."

Kyoko couldn't hide her surprise. "What? That horrible beast?"

"He's not horrible, Mom." Tohru cried defensively. "He's changed since you last saw him. He's very nice."

"Nice?" Kyoko cried in disbelief.

Tohru nodded, a look of longing in her eyes. "The nicest, most kind-hearted, most loving person I've ever met."

Kyoko noticed the look in her daughter's eyes. She knew that look. She had seen it in her own reflection when her husband had been alive. It left her absolutely speechless. It wasn't possible. She couldn't possibly.

"Tohru, do you-"

Her question was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Oh, hold that thought." Said Tohru, going to the door and opening it. "Hello?"

A foot moved in the doors path so she couldn't close it. Even though it had been over a year since she last saw him, she still recognized Akito Sohma.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Tohru Honda. How long has it been? Over a year, at least."

Tohru felt her stomach drop. "A-Akito! Wh-What are you doing here?"

He chuckled. "You've been away for so long. You disappear without a trace, not saying goodbye, not saying when you'll be back, you don't write or contact anyone at all. What do you think I'm doing here? I came to pay you a visit."

Tohru smiled nervously. "It's good to see you again, Akito, but now's not a good time."

"Oh?" He glanced over her shoulder, spotting Kyoko. "Ah, I see, you're taking care of your mentally ill mother."

Tohru nodded. "Yeah. Wait, what? No, she's not mentally ill!"

Akito chuckled. "Oh really? I don't know about that. First she claims to never have a daughter, then she disappears for year to rejoin her old gang, and now that I see here again, she looks rather banged up. Someone like that could be a danger to herself and others."

"Mom is not crazy!" Tohru cried. "She just had her memory erased!"

Akito raised an eyebrow. "Had her memory erased?"

Tohru covered her mouth. "No, that's not what I meant! She just, I mean, she was, she hit her head! But now she remembers everything, so we came back."

Akito crossed his arms, looking at her suspiciously. "Is that a fact? And just what were you doing all this time?"

Tohru felt nervous. "I was, I mean, I just…"

Akito smirked. Then his gaze shifted the bracelet on her wrist. His eyes widened and he aggressively grabbed her hand.

"Ouch, Akito, you're hurting me!"

He ignored her as he looked at the beads in disbelief. "Where did you get these?"

She pulled her hand back, rubbing her wrist. "A-A friend gave it to me."

There was anger in Akito's eyes, and something else that Tohru hadn't seen before. "And what was this friend's name?"

Tohru gulped. "What does that matter?"

"Was their name Kyo?"

Tohru couldn't hide the look of surprise on her face. "How… How'd you know?"

Akito suddenly forced himself inside, closing the door behind him. "You were at the old Sohma estate, weren't you? That's where you've been. You saw him, didn't you? That beast and his freaky pets."

"Tohru, what's going on?" Kyoko asked, looking from her daughter to Akito.

If Tohru even heard her mother, she gave no indication of it. "But how?"

"You think I wouldn't know my own cousins? Especially those rejects!"

"You're cousins?" Tohru and Kyoko exclaimed. "They're your cousins?"

Akito slammed his fist against the wall. "Were, until I cursed them."

Tohru placed her hands over her mouth. "You? It was you that cursed them? Why?"

Akito grinned, as if he were remembering a fond memory. "Yes, it was me. I cursed them. I gave them their well-deserved fate. Especially that damn Kyo."

"Akito, do you know what you're saying?" Kyoko cried.

"Only too well." Akito replied. "I was simply taking what I deserved." He chuckled. "I suppose you want a motivation. Very well then. You see, my father was the head of the Sohma estate. I was but a child when he died. The title of head of the family then shifted to Kyo's father. Had I been old enough, I would have been in charge. But now that it was my uncle, his own son would take the roll of head of the estate after him since I no longer had a father to teach me. So you see, I couldn't have that."

"So you cursed them?" Tohru cried.

"Of course. You see, Miss Honda, the Sohma family is very old. We've had a bit of an obsession with astronomy for generations. The stars have a lot of power. And it's from them that I draw my power. I discovered secrets and spells long forgotten. And I used that power to curse them all, turning them into the animals of the zodiac."

Tohru felt her legs give out and she collapsed to her knees. "All this because you were jealous? How could you be so cruel?"

"Sometimes God is cruel. And I like to think of myself as a god among the Sohmas." He laughed evilly. "In a way, my own zodiac is even represented by one. Did you know that there are actually 13 zodiac constellations." He chuckled. "It's true. Ophiuchus, the 13th sign of the Zodiac, also known as Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder. But it was never added to the Zodiac chart, even though it's been known since ancient times." A cocky grin crept up his face. "I consider Ophiuchus to be a god among the other animals, and myself a god among the Sohmas."

Kyoko shook her head. "You're crazy."

Akito just laughed. "Perhaps, but what's done is done. Soon the curse will be complete. The Sohmas will be trapped in their animal forms, and Kyo, the one who was going to replace me as the head of the Sohma family, will have his mind degenerate to that of an actual beast."

"What?" Tohru cried, horrified. "No, he can't! I have to help him!"

She made a run for the door. Akito grabbed her and pushed her back towards her mother. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. I won't allow you to break the curse, and I won't let Kyo take you from me." He grinned, and this time the smile did reach his eyes, but it was not a happy smile, but one of pure malice. "I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

It had been a week since then. Akito had Tohru and her mother barricaded in their own house, not letting them leave. Then he began making some calls. A mass family reunion. He had gathered together all the remaining Sohmas, ready to bring his plan into affect.

"My friends and family!" he addressed them. "As the head of the Sohma family, I have come to a decision. I'm sure you all know what tonight is."

There was muttering all around. Clearly everyone knew what day it was.

"That's right." he continued. "The 18th birthday of Kyo Sohma, the dirty little secret of our family. When the clock strikes midnight, he will be lost, and will truly become a beast. And the others that are cursed will be doomed to remain animals for all time. However, I am feeling merciful lately." He grinned. "If they are willing to accept me as the head of the family, I will lift their curses. To prove their loyalty, they will aid us in killing the beast."

More muttering. This time some people sounded rather reluctant. Killing the beast? Was Akito really requesting that of them? Appearances aside, Kyo was family.

Noticing their reluctance, Akito frowned. "Are you really willing to sacrifice the other members of our family for the sake of one whose mind is practically gone?" His eyes narrowed. "And don't forget what I can do. I don't have to make this offer. I can force you all to bring me the beast's head whether you want to or not. But I reward loyalty. So what will it be? Kyo, or all of them?"

There were cries of "Kyo", and "the beast", and "save the others" from the Sohmas. Akito grinned, glad that his plan was working. Little did his foolish relatives know that he planned on waiting until it was too late for the curse to be removed before finishing Kyo off once and for all. Then he would come back and force Tohru to marry him, less she wanted her mother locked away.

"All according to plan." He said with a chuckle.

A hand fell on his shoulder. He turned to see Kureno standing behind him, a defiant look on his face.

"Kureno? What's this?"

His cousin sighed. "I'm afraid I can't stand by and let this happen."

Akito's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying, Kureno? Are you going against my wishes?"

Kureno glared at him. "You're going too far. You've already gone too far. I won't let you do this anymore."

Akito knocked his hand away. "Kureno, you're a damned fool, you know that. Don't forget, I had originally cursed you as well. The only reason I lifted your curse was because you swore to serve me. And you have, for all these years. But if you're going to go against me now, then you can share the fate of our cousins."

He tapped Kureno on the head. There was a flash of light and Kureno vanished. All that was left of him was a pile of clothes and a rooster. Akito chuckled as he stared down at the bird his cousin had become.

"Loyal up until when it's most critical. What a stupid idiotic move on your part." He turned back to the others. "And unless anyone else wishes for the same fate, follow me!"

**(A/N: Big climax part coming up next****.****)**


	14. Chapter 13: Kill the Beast

**(A/N: It's the big climatic moment of the story. The big battle, and the confrontation between Kyo and Akito. Enjoy.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 13: Kill the Beast**

Kyo hadn't left his room since Tohru had left. He had become so depressed that he barely did anything besides sleep. The other Sohmas felt so bad for him. He had lost the girl he loved, and tonight he would lose his humanity completely.

"Maybe we can convince her to come back." Momiji suggested.

"It wouldn't matter." Said Yuki. "We couldn't go all the way to her town, convince her to come back, come all the way back here, and have them confess their love before midnight. There's not enough time. It's all over."

Suddenly Shigure's ears twitched. "Wait, someone's coming!"

All heads turned to him.

"Is it sissy?" Kisa asked hopefully. "Is she back?"

Shigure shook his head. "No, it's Akito! And he's got the entire Sohma family with him!" His eyes widened. "They're all chanting 'kill the beast'!"

"WHAT?"

"They're going to kill Kyo?" Kagura cried, horrified.

"This has Akito's name written all over it." Haru growled, switching immediately to Black mode.

"We have to stop them!" said Hiro.

"I'm going to warn Kyo!" Momiji cried.

He ran to the main house. He found Kyo curled up in a ball, wallowing in his depression.

"Kyo, we're in trouble!"

"Go away." Kyo grumbled.

Momiji ran up to him and began pounding him with his little fists. "But Akito's coming! He's got the entire Sohma family with him! They're coming to kill you!"

Kyo just sighed and turned away. "It doesn't matter anymore. Just let them come."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Tohru pounded against the door. It wouldn't budge. Akito had them locked in tightly. All she could do was watch as Akito and the rest of the Sohma marched off to kill Kyo. And even if they didn't kill him, today was his 18th birthday, the day his mind would become that of a beast. And she was locked in here, unable to do anything to help.

"I have to warn Kyo!" she cried. "What am I going to do? Mom, I can't let them hurt Kyo!"

Kyoko embraced her weeping daughter. "Don't worry, we'll think of something."

She looked out the window, wishing it was bigger. Then they could just break the glass and escape. Darn her for being poor and having to live in such a small house!

Then she saw something coming. At first she thought it was a cloud, but it was moving way too fast. And as it got closer, she saw what it actually was. A flock of birds. No, make that an entire army! They were heading straight for the house.

"Tohru, look out!"

She pulled her daughter out of the way as the flock of birds slammed into the door with such force that it flew off its hinges.

"What's going on?" Tohru cried as the birds swarmed around them.

"I'm making amends." It was Kureno in his rooster form. "I summoned the birds to help me get you out. You still have time to save Kyo. Go to him, Tohru, he needs you."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Akito approached the gate of the old Sohma estate. Yes, he should have done this long ago. He would rid Kyo from the face of the earth. The Sohmas would remain cursed, he would remain head of the family, and Tohru would be all his.

He raised an axe and brought it down on the chains holding the gate shut. They fell away and he kicked the gates open, receiving quite a surprise, as did the rest of the Sohmas.

The Sohma estate was filled with animals. Cats, dogs, rats, snakes, boar, and rabbits, all lined up lined up as if they were ready for battle. And at the front of the line were the cursed Sohmas, glaring at their family defiantly.

Akito glared at them. "Stand down, all of you. We're here for Kyo."

"You've done more than enough to him!" Yuki shouted. "We won't let you hurt him anymore!"

Akito snickered. "You're a real idiot, Yuki. But if that's where you stand, then so be it." He turned to the others. "My deal still remains. Kyo's life for theirs. Fight them if you must, it's for their own good."

"The hell it is!" Yuki cried. "We're putting an end to this! Lets go!"

All the animals charged at the humans. Akito growled angrily, infuriated by their defiance. But since he was the one that cursed them, he had power over them, including the animals they were influencing.

"Back off." He hissed.

He began making his way through the crowd of animals as he headed for the main house, axe in hand. He was really going to enjoy this. He would wait until the last second. And once the humanity left Kyo's eyes, he would strike. Kyo's head would be mounted on his wall where Tohru would be able to see it everyday.

But Kyo wasn't anywhere in the main house. But that was ok, because Akito knew where Kyo liked to go when he was sulking. And he was right. He found Kyo on the roof, staring up at the sky with unseeing eyes.

"I knew I'd find you here, Kyo. Even when you were a child you liked coming up here."

Kyo just sighed. "Akito. I have nothing to say to you. I know why you're here. So just go ahead and do it. Put me out of my misery."

Surprised, Akito studied Kyo carefully. When he came to a conclusion, he snickered. Charging at Kyo, he hit him in the head with the end of the axe. Kyo went down and made no attempt to get back up.

"How pathetic." He sneered at the beast. "You know what, I don't think I will wait for you to lose your mind before killing you. Once you lose you humanity, all this pain and hurt you're feeling will disappear. I think I'll just kill you now and let you take your sorrow with you into the next world."

Kyo gave no reaction. "Do whatever you want."

Akito chuckled. "Oh, I will." He raised the axe, reading to put an end to Kyo's life. "Say your prayers, beast."

"No!"

Kyo's eyes snapped open. He knew that voice. He looked down from the roof to see Tohru running towards the main house. He couldn't believe it. She had actually come back to him. She was really here.

"Tohru…" he whispered.

"No!" she cried. "Akito, don't, please!"

Tohru's desperate plea infuriated Akito. She truly cared for this monster. No, he wouldn't allow it. Not now, not ever!

He swung the axe… and Kyo caught it. He was on his feet, growling and snarling like the beast that he was as he held Akito at bay, his eyes flashing angrily. Akito was startled. Kyo had gotten angry with him before, but he had never raised a hand against him.

"Damn beast." He snarled. "I'm going to kill you."

"No!" Kyo roared. "You've caused us all so much suffering already! No more!"

Akito pulled away and swung the axe. Kyo jumped away, but didn't back down. He viciously backhanded Akito, catching him in the gut. Akito went down and Kyo pounced. Akito held up the axe, using it to keep away from Kyo's snapping jaws.

"You damned fool!" He slammed his knee into Kyo's stomach, knocking the beast off him. "Do you think she would love a beast like you, when she could have someone like me!"

He swung the axe again, grazing Kyo's arm. A savage look appeared in Kyo's eyes as his beast nature began to take hold of him. It made Akito snicker.

"You really want to kill me now, don't you? Your mind is fading again, isn't it? Soon you really will be nothing but a monster." He raised the axe. "Tohru could never love a beast like you! She's MINE!"

He swung the axe. Kyo caught it in his jaws. He bit down and the axe snapped in half. Aktio looked at the broken axe in shock.

"You think I'm a monster?" Kyo asked. "The real monster here is you!"

Kyo pounced, and Akito suddenly found himself pinned beneath him. Kyo had his death in his eyes, foam seeping from his mouth as he bared his fangs. There was nothing human left in Kyo's mind. He truly had become a beast, and he was ready to tear Akito's throat out.

Fear gripped Akito. Suddenly all his power, wealth, and, yes, even magic, was rendered useless. He was at the mercy of the beast he himself had created out of his anger and jealousy. And this monster was going to kill him.

"Wait! Wait!" he cried fearfully. "Don't hurt me! I'm sorry, Kyo! I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me! Please, someone help me!"

Kyo was ready to move in for the kill, but Akito's pleas echoed through his head. He blinked a few times, suddenly realizing what he was doing. It would be justified if he did it. It was more than what Akito deserved.

'_I am not a beast.'_ Kyo said to himself. His eyes narrowed and he growled at Akito. "You're going to remove the curse on all of us. Then you're going to leave us and Tohru alone."

Akito nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, I promise."

Kyo backed off, freeing his cousin. It was done then. Akito had admitted his defeat and agreed to remove the curse. It was all over now.

"Kyo!"

He looked up to see Tohru crawling on the roof over to him. His eyes softened as he looked at her lovingly.

"Tohru…" he breathed.

He crawled towards her, still unable to believe that she was here. She had come back to him. His Tohru had come back.

"You're really here?" he asked, reaching for her.

Tohru reached out and grabbed his large hand. "Yes, Kyo, I'm here."

Now was the time. He had to tell her now. And because he wanted to. All thoughts of the curse were gone, his mind focused entirely on Tohru.

He opened his mouth to say the magic words, but instead roared in pain. Akito had come up behind them, stabbing Kyo in the gut with the sharpened end of the broken axe.

"Die, demon!" he shouted.

"Kyo!" Tohru cried, as Kyo went down.

Akito's eyes shifted to her. Her concern for Kyo infuriated him. He grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. "Come here! You belong to me!"

"No! Let me go! Right strike!"

She hit Akito weakly. Normally her punch wouldn't have hurt, but she ended up getting him right in the eye. He let her go, placing his hand over his eye. Tohru pulled away, wrapping her arms around Kyo.

A look of pure hatred appeared on Akito's face. He lifted up his other hand, revealing that he had the other end of the broken axe. "Fine, then you two can be together in Hell!"

He raised the remains of the axe, ready to split Tohru's head open. Kyo's eyes snapped open and he pounced at Akito. They both went over off the roof, Tohru screaming Kyo's name.

**(A/N: A little different than how the movie went. But this is a retelling of it. What's become of Kyo and Akito? Stay tuned for the final chapter.)**


	15. Chapter 14: Happily Ever After

**(A/N: I'm sorry, this chapter is a little short. It's the final chapter, and, sticking with the **_**Beauty and the Beast**_** theme, I didn't have much to go on. So I hope you enjoy the last chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 14: Happily Ever After**

Tohru quickly headed back inside, running through the house and bursting out the front door. Akito lay dead on the ground, his neck broken, his eyes staring lifeless at the sky. But it was Kyo that Tohru ran to. He had landed on the broken axe that had been sticking out of his side, pushing it further into him.

"Kyo! Kyo! KYO!!!"

His eyes slowly opened. With his remaining strength, he rolled onto his back so he could look up at her. "Toh…Tohru…"

Tears filled her eyes as she hugged him. "Oh, Kyo. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Kyo struggled to speak. "N-No… Tohru… it's not… Ple-Please don't… apologize… I owe you so… so much… Y-You… saved me…"

"Kyo!" cried Tohru fearfully. "Don't talk like that. You're scaring me. It sounds like you're saying goodbye. You can't, not when we're together again."

Kyo gave her a smile. "I'm just… glad I… got to see you… one more… t-time…"

His eyes rolled up into his head as he breathed one last time. Then he was still. Not moving, not breathing, nothing.

Tohru's eyes were wide with horror. Tears poured from them as she shook uncontrollably. "Kyo. Kyo. Kyo! No, Kyo! Don't go! Please don't leave me, Kyo!" She buried her face into his chest and wept. "I love you."

As she lay there weeping, the clock chimed midnight. All movement in the Sohma estate, human and animal alike, froze. It was midnight. Kyo was officially 18. The deadline had passed. And Kyo lay dead on the ground next to a sobbing Tohru.

The clock continued to chime. Six chimes past midnight. The Sohmas were weeping. Eight chimes. Kyo was dead, so was Akito. Ten chimes. The curse would remain. Eleven chimes. It was all over now.

When the clock chimed a twelfth time, Tohru heard the unmistakable sound of a heartbeat. At first she thought it was just her imagination, but then she heard it again, and again.

Sitting up, she looked down at Kyo. His body was beginning to smoke. Shocked, she jumped back, watching as more smoke emitted from Kyo's body. The broken axe in Kyo's side was forced out, the wound immediately healing afterward, not even leaving a scar. Slowly, Kyo's body was lifted off the ground and began floating in the air. It began glowing brightly as his skin began shifting.

Tohru's eyes were wide with shock as Kyo began to change. His body got smaller, his deformities reshaping themselves. Even his horrible scent was fading away. His features were turning… human. But the light eventually got too bright and the smoke too thick to be able to see.

There was a bright flash of light, and the smoke vanished. Slowly the body of an 18 year old boy floated to the ground, Kyo's pants covering his lower body. He was very handsome, Tohru noted, but who was he? And what had happened to Kyo?

The boy stirred slightly and slowly rose to his feet. He seemed surprised for a moment, the he looked down at himself. He examined his for a moment, unable to hold back a gasp. Then he turned to Tohru, locking eyes with her. Though his eyes were red, they held kindness, and… love?

Tohru blinked. Who was this? She had never seen him before, yet he seemed so… familiar.

"Tohru." He whispered. "It's me. It's Kyo."

Shock was written over her face. She studied him for a moment, taking in his handsome features. Slowly she reached out and touched him. He seemed to be emitting the same presence that the beast did. Her eyes traveled over his face, up to his head. He had the same orange hair color of that boy in the portrait in Kyo's room. Was this boy… was Kyo…

Tohru's eyes widened and filled with tears of joy as she realized what had happened. "It is you." she whispered, cupping his face.

Kyo couldn't hold himself back any longer. He pulled Tohru to him, pressing his lips to hers. Tohru was surprised at first, but then she kissed him back, expressing all her love for him. Whether in human form or beast form, this was still Kyo, the man she loved.

There was a flash of light that traveled through the entire estate, originating from the kissing couple. Suddenly everything didn't seem quite so gloomy. In fact, the Sohma estate looked as good as new. The sky cleared up, the rundown houses seemed to repair themselves, all kinds of plants sprang up from out of the ground, and the atmosphere seemed much more inviting.

There were several popping sounds. Clouds of colorful smoke filled the estate as the cursed Sohmas seemed to explode. But when the smoke cleared, there were people standing in the animals' place.

Tohru cried out and covered her eyes when she realized that these new people were completely naked, but Kyo's eyes lit up as he stared at his cousins restored to their human forms.

"Yuki!" he cried happily, overjoyed that they were no longer animals. "Shigure! Hatori! Momiji! Everyone!"

"We're back to normal!" Momiji cried happily, jumping up and down.

Hatori placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Momiji, make yourself decent." He said, while the other Sohma'a made a run for the clothes that had been hung up to dry.

Someo for them didn't even get the chance to dress as their family members embraced the long lost loved ones, who they had feared were lost to the curse forever.

"Aw, but we were always naked before!" Momiji whined.

"We were animals before." Hatori told him. "There's a difference."

"That's true." Momiji admitted, as he pulled on _girl's_ clothes. "But now the curse is broken! Tohru, Kyo, you did it!"

Tohru blinked, suddenly feeling bashful that everyone was looking at her. "Um, I did? What'd I do?"

Kyo embraced her. "You saw through me. You saw past the monster I was and reached the man I am. Your love broke the spell."

Yuki smiled at her fondly. "Miss Honda, we are eternally in your debt. If it wasn't for you, we would have been animals forever."

"But love conquers all!" Momiji cheered. "It _is_ the most powerful thing in the world."

"Love broke the spell?" Tohru repeated. Slowly as smile crept up her face. "It sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

Kyo turned her towards him and cupped her face. "A fairy tale, huh? Well then you know what happens next, right?"

Tohru felt joy swell up in her heart. "Happily ever after?"

Kyo smiled. "Happily ever after."

**THE END**

**(A/N: ****Well, that's a rap. It's a happily ever after for Tohru and Kyo, as well as the rest of the Sohmas. Thank you for sticking with me till the end. I hope you enjoyed my story, and I hope you'll look into my other stories.****)**


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